Senator Erwin Tulfo called on parents and guardians to spend more time talking to their children and not rely only on technology to check on their well-being.
Tulfo made the call after a gun was found inside the bag of a Grade 9 student in Pinamungajan, Cebu, just days after the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) that killed two students and injured nine others.
Authorities said the gun found in Cebu belonged to the student’s grandfather.
“It really starts at home. What made these kids think that it’s alright to bring weapons at school?” Tulfo said in a statement.
“This should be a lesson for everybody, for every parent, guardian out there. Please, please talk to your children, talk to your child. We should ask if they’re okay and really know what’s going on inside their mind,” he added.
Tulfo said children are not naturally violent and that different situations can trigger violent behavior.
He said parents and guardians need to know what their children are going through so they can guide them properly.
The senator also called for accountability among gun owners who carelessly leave firearms where children can reach them.
Tulfo said legislation is being prepared to impose criminal liability on gun owners and custodians who are negligent in securing their firearms.
“We cannot wait for another fatality or more collateral damage. There has to be a law that will strengthen the existing framework on firearm ownership,” he said.
“The intention is clear: ensure that every child will not have access to a firearm, gun-owning parents and guardians practice responsible ownership, and that no firearm entrusted to either a public or private individual, will ever become an instrument of tragedy in the hands of a child,” Tulfo added.IMT
