- At least one person has been killed and four others injured following a shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the southern Philippines.
- Local authorities, including Cotabato provincial governor Reynaldo Tamayo and police officials, are urgently working to establish details while all classes in the municipality of Banga have been suspended.
- The Department of Education expressed deep concern over the attack, emphasising that its immediate priority is the safety, well-being, and mental health support of learners and staff.
- Although school shootings were previously rare in the Philippines, this incident represents the third attack at a school in the southern region since June, following fatal shootings in Tacloban City and Zamboanga.
- The Philippines maintains relatively strict gun ownership laws requiring background checks and psychological evaluations, yet illegal firearms continue to circulate.
IN FULL
One dead and four injured in shooting at southern Philippines school, police say
