Expert blames family, school, state failures for campus violence surge

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Philippine education system faces a critical security crisis driven by cascading institutional failures, a leading criminology expert cautioned Wednesday. Dr. Gerry Caño, president of the Asian Criminology Society and the Professional Criminology Associations in the Philippines, identified inadequate family supervision, weak school security protocols, and insufficient government regulation as key factors fueling campus violence.

Caño's assessment points to a troubling pattern where Philippine classrooms have increasingly become sites of armed incidents. The expert argued that the Philippine National Police and other state agencies have fallen short in their responsibilities to protect students and educational institutions from threats.

The criminologist emphasized that addressing campus shootings requires coordinated action across multiple fronts. Without substantial improvements in parental oversight, institutional security measures, and regulatory enforcement by government bodies, the cycle of violence threatening students and educators is likely to persist.

Education officials and law enforcement agencies have faced mounting pressure to implement stronger safety measures as incidents continue to raise public concern about student welfare and school environments across the country.