SENATE Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development Chairperson Erwin Tulfo on Sunday urged parents and guardians to strengthen communication with their children and avoid relying solely on technology to monitor their well-being.

Tulfo made the call after a gun was found inside the bag of a Grade 9 student in Pinamungajan, Cebu, just days after the fatal shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

“It really starts at home. What made these kids think that it’s alright to bring weapons at school?” Tulfo said in a statement.

“This should be a lesson for everybody, for every parent, guardian out there. Please, please talk to your children, talk to your child. We should ask if they’re okay and really know what’s going on inside their mind,” he added.

Tulfo emphasized that no child is naturally born violent, noting that various circumstances can trigger violent behavior.

“There are so many instances that can trigger their violence and we cannot guide them toward the right track if we do not start dealing with them genuinely,” he said.

Amid concerns over children’s access to firearms, Tulfo stressed that parents and guardians who own firearms must be held accountable, particularly those who negligently leave weapons within children’s reach.

He also announced that legislation is being drafted to impose criminal liability on negligent gun owners and custodians.

“We cannot wait for another fatality or more collateral damage. There has to be a law that will strengthen the existing framework on firearm ownership,” Tulfo said.

“The intention is clear: ensure that every child will not have access to a firearm, gun-owning parents and guardians practice responsible ownership, and that no firearm entrusted to either a public or private individual will ever become an instrument of tragedy in the hands of a child,” he concluded.