SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said the stabbing to death of two Grade 8 students by their schoolmates in Las Pinas City last week is not only “alarming” but a reflection of the country’s failure “to raise a generation grounded in discipline and respect.”
“This is beyond alarming – it is a clear sign of a crisis. When violence becomes the language of our youth, we must confront the hard truth: we are failing in our duty to raise a generation grounded in discipline and respect,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
“Kung ganito na ang mga kabataan, dapat tayong mangamba sa kinabukasang hinuhubog natin (If today’s youths are like this, we must fear for the future that we are shaping),” he added.
Gatchalian issued the remark after two Grade 8 students of Captain Albert Aguilar National High School were stabbed to death by their schoolmates last Friday night.
Col. Sandro Tafalla, Las Pinas City police chief, said the victims were cousins who had a misunderstanding with three suspects “about a light switch inside the classroom.”
He said the victims, both 15, were attacked on Balikan St. after they got out of the school at around 7 p.m.
Investigations showed that a Grade 7 student aged 14 and a Grade 10 student aged 16 served as backups when a Grade 9 student aged 15 attacked the victims.
One victim was stabbed in the right chest, while the other was hit in the neck. The first victim was declared dead on arrival at a hospital, and the other died hours later.
Earlier, a Grade 8 female student in Paranaque City was also stabbed to death by a schoolmate after she reportedly refused to lend her makeup kit.
Gatchalian said the suspects must be brought to justice even as he earlier said that the full implementation of the Good Manners and Rights Conduct Act must begin next school year, 2025-2026.
“We cannot wait for more student deaths before we implement the interventions available to us, including the GMRC and Values Education Act. LGUs should be mobilized now to implement the Parent Effectiveness Service program to shape our learners to be good and responsible citizens,” he added.
