Napolcom Urges Stronger School-Community Ties After San Jose Shooting

Posted on September 10, 2026 at 1:55 am

Tacloban City — The National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Eastern Visayas is urging schools, parents, and communities to work more closely with authorities to help keep students safe following the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School.

Napolcom Regional Director Lawyer Risty Sibay said police presence in and around schools has increased since the incident, but security cannot depend on the police alone.

Speaking at a Crime Prevention Week press conference on Thursday, August 27, Sibay called on communities to take a more active role in identifying safety concerns and finding ways to address them.

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

Police authorities have stepped up their visibility and monitoring around school campuses following the shooting and have been coordinating with schools and other stakeholders.

Sibay said these efforts should also involve local government units, parents, and residents who may notice problems or risks that authorities might not immediately see.

He said the Community and Service-Oriented Policing (CSOP) system provides a way for government agencies, police, and communities to work together on local peace and order concerns.

Sibay also pointed to the limited number of police personnel available in the region. Of the roughly 11,000 police officers in Eastern Visayas, more than 4,000 are assigned to schools, he said.

With police handling a wide range of responsibilities, Sibay said communities have an important role to play in keeping schools safe.

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

He encouraged residents to raise concerns, report potential problems, and work with authorities on practical solutions.

For schools, this means keeping communication open with police, local officials, and parents, particularly when there are concerns that could affect students’ safety.

Sibay said the aim is to prevent problems before they turn into serious incidents rather than simply responding after something happens.

He urged communities to see school safety as a shared responsibility, especially when children and students are involved.

Photo by: Jazmin Bonifacio | The Vanguard