THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers group expressed alarm over the severe shortage and slow filling of guidance counselor positions after the South Cotabao school shooting incident.

The group stressed that affected learners urgently need professional debriefing, counseling, and direct social support, not militarized drills.

“Huwag sanang isisi sa mga guro o sa mga video games ang trahedyang ito para lang pagtakpan ang kapabayaan ng pamahalaan. Kailangan na kailangan natin ang mga guidance counselors at mga mental health at psychosocial programs, pero nasaan na ito? Inuuna ang mga drills at deployment ng mga kapulisan na kilala rin sa paghahasik ng karahasan,” ACT Philippines Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said.

The group stressed that the prevalence of school violence cannot be seperated from the chronic neglect the sector of education faces. The state offloads the burden of school safety onto students, teachers, and parents as a matter of individual discipline rather than fulfilling its public obligation.

Under the 2026 budget, DepEd created 10,000 School Counselor Associate I positions translating to roughly 1 counselor associate for every 2,600 learners nationwide. Furthermore, while DepEd reported around 5,000 registered guidance counselors in early 2026, under 1,000 are actually employed by DepEd across roughly 50,000 public schools.

“Isang counselor para sa bawat 2,600 na mag-aaral nationwide, kulang na kulang na nga ang bilang ng counselors at seguridad sa mga paaralan, tatapyasan pa ang pondo ng edukasyon. Hindi nagkukulang sa pera ang gobyerno, maling-mali lang ang prayoridad! Kayang maglabas ng daan-daang bilyong piso para sa militarisasyon at pulis, pero kapag sa guidance counselor, silid-aralan, at mental health ng kabataan at guro, laging sinasabing walang pondo. Kapag pumasok ang karahasan sa eskwelahan, ang sagot ng estado ay mas matinding militarisasyon imbes na tugunan ang kawalan ng pondo para sa nakabubuhay na sahod at benepisyo ng mga guro at kawani, sapat na pasilidad, at mga pangangailangan sa paaralan,” Bernardo said.

ACT also called for an immediate investigation into how minors involved in school shootings continue to access firearms through family members serving in government, as reported in South Cotabato where the firearm used belonged to an LGU employee.

“Kailangan imbestigahan kung paano halos lahat ng kaso ng shooting ay nakuha ang baril sa isang kamag-anak sa gobyerno. Hindi ito hiwalay sa realidad na may matinding kultura ng karahasan na mismong gobyerno ang nagpapamalas. Hindi ito nagkataon lang, kundi repleksyon ng bulok na kultura ng ating lipunan,” Bernardo emphasized.