Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed on Thursday, June 25, 2026, that a 14-year-old Grade 10 student at Tolosa National High School in Leyte allegedly planned to carry out a violent attack, believed to have been influenced by the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City.
During a press conference at Camp Crame, Remulla said he received information from Senator Bam Aquino on Wednesday night, June 24, about a person in Leyte posting on social media about plans to conduct a mass shooting or stabbing at the school. The post, as quoted by Remulla, read: “Hello, send this to your friends. Yo, from Tolosa, prepare yourselves, especially you as you owe me. Get ready. I will disrupt the school. You won’t know me, but you will recognize me. There’s no time, no day. Be prepared for whoever gets shot or stabbed. We don’t care, good luck to you at Tolosa Leyte National High School.”
Investigation and Response
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) immediately investigated and traced the post to the 14-year-old female student. Remulla said she created multiple Facebook accounts to disseminate the message, alarming students, parents, and the public. The student was “hesitant and uncooperative due to the fear of repercussions,” and her parents also refused to provide information, Remulla said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
The minor was not charged due to her age. “The kid was not charged with anything, again 14-years-old. She’s at their house. The DSWD brought her for interview but she cannot be charged with anything,” Remulla said.
Possible Copycat Motive
The threat appears to have stemmed from the student’s personal and family issues. Remulla noted, “The threat appears to be neutralized and inactive. No evidence of an organized plan or involvement of others was found, and neither (the minor) nor her family have access to firearms. It is possible that she had been influenced by the recent shooting at San Jose National High School.”
The student is also an avid player of GoreBox, the same mobile game that the 14-year-old suspect in the Tacloban City school shooting was allegedly addicted to. “We think she wanted to do a copycat crime. That’s what’s dangerous here because video games show how easy it is to kill a person. They think if it’s done there, then they can do it too,” said Remulla. “All of them are avid fans of GoreBox. So parents, if that’s the game your children are playing, keep an eye on them because that game is very dangerous,” he added.
GoreBox Blocked Temporarily
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center earlier ordered the temporary blocking of GoreBox across the country as a precautionary measure while authorities assess whether the platform played any role in the Tacloban shooting. GoreBox is a sandbox-style game that allows users to interact with weapons and create destructive scenarios in a virtual environment.
Call for Public Vigilance
Remulla urged the public to immediately call 911 if they encounter similar threats, noting that many lives were saved during the shooting attack at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on Monday, June 22, which killed three students and wounded 20 others. He said many more could have died had police not arrived immediately at the scene, leading to the arrest of the 14- and 15-year-old suspects.
“My appeal to everyone is this: if you see any threat, imminent threat, or chatter in group discussions indicating that someone intends to carry out a mass shooting or inflict violence, please call 911 and report it immediately,” he said. “How important is 911? Within one minute of the shooting at San Jose National High School, a teacher called 911, and within five minutes of the call, the first responders had already arrived,” he added.
