TACLOBAN CITY — Families of students killed and injured in the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School have welcomed a prosecutor’s finding of probable cause against the police officer who owned the service firearm used in the attack, saying the development has renewed their hope for justice.

The Department of Justice earlier said that the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office, in a resolution dated Aug. 20, found probable cause to recommend the filing of charges for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries against Police Staff Sergeant Arla Ray Pacencia.

Pacencia is the aunt of one of the minors involved in the shooting and the owner of the service firearm used by the minor.

Erbea Fabian, mother of shooting victim Chris Lorenz Fabian, said the recommendation gave the victims’ families hope that those responsible for the deaths and injuries would be held accountable.

“Nagkaroon po ng pag-asa para sa hustisya ng mga anak namin at ng iba pang mga biktima para hindi na maulit ng basta-basta,” she said.

Fabian said the development would help ease, even partially, the pain suffered by families after losing their children. She also said it should remind gun owners to exercise greater responsibility in securing and handling firearms.

“Kahit po sabihing isinafety niya, kung talagang naka-safety ’yun, bakit nakuha pa rin nung bata?” Fabian said.

The prosecutor’s finding, however, does not mean that a criminal case has already been filed in court.

Tacloban City Prosecutor Liza Jorda said six complainants filed complaints involving reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple physical injuries. After conducting a preliminary investigation, the prosecutor’s office found probable cause to charge Pacencia.
Pacencia may still file a motion for reconsideration within 15 days from receipt of the resolution. The prosecutor’s office will have 10 days to act on the motion.
“That is her right to file an MR,” Jorda said.

If the finding of probable cause is sustained after the motion for reconsideration, the case will then be filed in court, Jorda said.

If Pacencia is ultimately found liable for negligence in the handling of her service firearm, she could face imprisonment ranging from four months to four years, according to Jorda.
“Justice is underway, and they just have to wait with the process because the other party who is accused here also have rights,” Jorda said.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The community must play a more active role in preventing crime as police and other government agencies face growing demands for security, particularly in schools, National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Atty. Risty Sibay said.

Sibay made the call during a Crime Prevention Week press conference, emphasizing that maintaining peace and order cannot be left solely to law enforcement agencies.
He said the Community and Service-Oriented Policing (CSOP) system provides a framework for government agencies, police and communities to work together in identifying security concerns and developing solutions.

“Let us not just call on a particular agency, like NAPOLCOM, on what we can do but also on what you can do,” Sibay said during the media conference Thursday,August 27.
“I believe that when we are united, we can do more,” he added.

Sibay identified three key areas that need to be strengthened to make crime prevention more effective: community participation, inter-agency collaboration, and a preventive and problem-oriented approach.

He said residents should be encouraged to actively participate in maintaining peace and order by helping identify problems in their communities and proposing solutions.
Government agencies, meanwhile, should coordinate their programs and ensure that their crime prevention initiatives are aligned with national crime prevention plans, he said.
Sibay stressed that people must remain at the center of community policing, with government institutions providing accountable and transparent services while recognizing that maintaining peace and order is a shared responsibility.

“The brightest ideas are not just from government agencies but from the people itself,” he said.

The NAPOLCOM official also pointed to limited police resources as another reason for stronger community participation. He said Eastern Visayas has roughly 11,000 police personnel, with more than 4,000 assigned to schools.

The deployment highlights the continuing security demands faced by the police, particularly in protecting students and school communities.

The need for closer cooperation gained greater urgency following the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which left three students dead and 20 others injured.

Since the incident, police authorities have strengthened coordination with schools, local government units and other stakeholders, including increased police visibility, security monitoring, threat assessment and emergency response preparations.

Sibay said, however, that police presence alone cannot guarantee the prevention of similar incidents.

“We encourage community support, participation so we can arrive at a concrete plan to address problems so that incidents in San Jose National High School will never happen,” he said.

He said community-oriented policing should go beyond responding to crimes after they occur. Instead, communities and government agencies should work together to identify potential risks, address underlying problems and prevent incidents before they happen.
Sibay said a united effort among police, schools, parents, local governments, national government agencies and communities is essential to creating safer communities and protecting children from crime and violence.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Eighty senior high school students from Samar and Biliran are being encouraged to become advocates for responsible fishing and marine conservation after taking part in fisheries and environmental education sessions conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 8.

The students came from San Isidro National High School in Zumarraga, Samar, and Naval School of Fisheries in Naval, Biliran.

The sessions covered fisheries management, the status of fisheries in Fisheries Management Area 7, illegal fishing practices, coastal and marine habitats, harmful algal blooms, the BFAR Fisheries Scholarship Program and the West Philippine Sea.

BFAR-8 said the activity was designed to give young people a better understanding of fisheries and environmental issues affecting their communities and encourage them to promote responsible fishing and conservation.

The students were also encouraged to share what they learned with their families and communities, particularly on proper fishing practices and the protection of aquatic resources.

Recel Ann Sacedor of Naval School of Fisheries said the sessions could help young people, particularly those from fishing families, better understand proper fishing practices and encourage them to speak up against activities that harm fisheries resources.

Kyra Nicole Puyat of San Isidro National High School emphasized the responsibility of young people to be aware of illegal and harmful activities that could affect their communities.
Lyra Tejeresas, senior high department head of San Isidro National High School, said the program complemented classroom learning by linking lessons to actual fisheries and environmental concerns in the community.

The sessions were conducted by BFAR-8 through its Provincial Fisheries Offices in Samar and Biliran, Information, Education and Communication Unit, Enforcement and Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Operations Center, Regional Fisheries Laboratory and National Stock Assessment Program.

The activity was carried out in coordination with the local government units of Zumarraga and Naval and the participating schools.

The sessions form part of BFAR-8’s targeted information, education and communication activities under its Sustainable Fisheries Management with the Youth in Eastern Visayas program, which seeks to develop young people as partners in protecting fisheries resources and aquatic ecosystems.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)