MANILA, Philippines – When two minors opened fire in a school in Tacloban City on June 22, three students were killed while 20 others were injured.

Among those wounded in the gunfire was Gerric Bituin, a friend of alias “Nash,” the 14-year-old who was tagged in the fatal shooting at San Jose National High School. 

It was his older sister, Janica, who recounted what happened to Gerric, in a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, July 1.

Janica said that Gerric was best friends with Nash. They became friends along with the second minor involved in the shooting, a 15-year-old identified by the alias “Rod,” as they were classmates during Grade 8.

“Sabi ni Gerric sa akin, dati masayahin si Nash at joker. May circle of friends sila niyan (Gerric told me that Nash was a cheerful person who cracks jokes. They were part of a circle of friends),” Janica told senators.

Before the June 22 shooting, the 14-year-old attended the flag ceremony and was looking for another friend. 

“Nagduda daw si Gerric no’ng time na ‘yon kasi parang iba ‘yong mood daw ni Nash (Jerick noticed that Nash was acting differently at that time),” Janica said.

Based on the initial police investigation, the 14-year-old arrived at the school at about 7:30 am and entered a restroom after the flag ceremony.

At around 8 am, the 15-year-old joined him in the restroom. The two left about an hour later, and gunfire erupted at around 9:20 am.

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Gerric and his classmates did not mind the explosion-like sound since it sounded far away. But they heard the sounds coming closer and closer. Students from other classrooms ran and shouted that there was a gun.

Gerric’s teacher instructed them to hide at the back of the classroom near the teacher’s table. There was also a window in that area. 

He dropped to the floor and looked out the window. He saw the two minors, his friends, going to a nearby classroom. Their teacher told them to change positions.

“No’ng lilipat na si Gerric, di nila namalayan na si Nash nasa likod na pala ng classroom nila. Papatayo palang siya, binaril siya. Do’n siya binaril, nakatalikod siya,” Janica said.

(When Gerric tried to move, they did not notice that Nash was already at the back of their classroom. As Gerric stood up, he was shot in his back.)

The bullet passed through Gerric’s neck and hit his chin. He had surgery on Tuesday, June 30, as his chin was fractured. He is still under medical observation.

According to Janica, they learned what happened when a woman, who had a motorcycle, came to their house, saying she rushed Gerric to a hospital.

It was Gerric’s friends who carried him out of the school. When they reached a nearby water station, two senior high school students approached them and tried to cover his gunshot wounds. That was when the motorcycle rider came and transported the student for medical care.

“Tinanong ko siya kung walang tumulong sa kanya, sabi niya wala raw kasi nagvi-video lang daw ang mga tao,” Janica said.

(I asked Gerric if no one helped him, he said the people were just taking videos.)

Gerric was a victim of fake news as well. Janica said content creators were saying on social media that his younger brother died and used artificial intelligence to generate images of him with the three other fatalities. 

Girl shot when closing classroom door

Another student, Kaye Lapidario, was also shot when she closed their door to prevent the two minors from entering their classroom, her father Rolando told the Senate committee hearing. 

Rolando described his daughter as kind and cheerful. 

“Nong mabaril nga siya nong nasa hospital nang puntahan ko, tatawa lang ‘yon maski nagdurugo ‘yong sugat niya (When I visited her in the hospital after being shot, she was laughing even if her wounds were bleeding),” the father said. 

Kaye was shot in the right hip with the bullet going through her left thigh. Her private parts were also affected, according to his father.

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After being injured, the student immediately sent a text message to his father, who was working at the farm at the time. 

“Kung di niya raw isinara ang pinto, marami silang mababaril (Kaye thought that if she did not close the door, many in their classroom would have been shot),” Rolando told senators.

Calls to lower age of criminal liability

During the Senate committee hearing, both relatives called for justice.

“Gusto ko ibaba 15 to 12 years old para di na pamarisan ang paggagawa ng krimen,” Kaye’s father told senators. “Dahil kung hindi natin ibababa ‘yan, mahihimasa ang menor de edad na ‘yan maraming batang papatayin dahil di sila makukulong.”

(I want to lower the age of criminal liability from 15 to 12 so that crimes will not be committed again. If the age will not be lowered, that minor will get used to killing children.)

“Sana mabigyan ng hustisya ‘yong mga nabiktima, lalong lalo na sa mga namatayan. Sana hindi maging hadlang ang pagiging menor de edad para makulong,” Gerric’s sister said. 

(I hope all of the victims, including the families who lost their children, will get justice. I hope that a young age will not be a hindrance for someone to be jailed.)

The 15-year-old minor tagged in the shooting is already facing murder complaints. The 14-year-old, while exempted from criminal liability, will undergo an intervention program.

Both minors are under the custody of the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth in Tanauan, Leyte. – Rappler.com