President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday paid tribute to the victims of the Tacloban City school shooting, honoring their courage while calling for stronger efforts to protect children from violence and harmful influences.
During his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona), Marcos recognized the families of Chris Lorenz Fabian, Joyancee Separa and Ayessa Nicole Dazo, who were killed in the June shooting at San Jose National High School.
‘To the parents of Chris Lorenz Fabian, Joyancee Separa, and Ayessa Nicole Dazo: we are all so very proud of the unflinching bravery and heroic virtue that you have instilled in your children. They are an inspiration to us all,’ Marcos said.
‘Their courage and selflessness – true Filipino qualities – are the virtues that these trying times call for,’ he added.
Marcos said the deaths of the students left a profound void in their families and served as a painful lesson for the nation.
The President also underscored the need to shield children from what he described as harmful influences, citing the ‘corrosive influence of fake news, the unfettered exposure to pornography, even to minors, the constant depiction of casual violence, and the toxicity and hate culture pervasive in social media.’
Marcos stressed that protecting and guiding the youth is a shared responsibility, saying society as a whole must work together to safeguard children from forces that exploit their vulnerability.