ADZU board enhances security measures
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 23 August 2026) — The Board of Trustees of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) on Saturday approved a resolution enhancing security measures in its three campuses here, ADZU President Fr. Ernald Andal said.
Andal posted on the ADZU’s social media page that enhanced security measures include long-term improvements and a comprehensive security audit of its Salvador Campus along La Purisima Street, the Lantaka campus, and the Kreutz Campus in Barangay Tumaga where the Junior High School is..
Starting Monday, August 24, ADZU will implement more thorough vehicle inspections, stricter ID checks, closer monitoring of entry and exit points, and tighter control of visitor access.
August 24 is six days after a junior high school student went on a shooting rampage, killed one student before killing himself. Classes were suspended until August 20 but was extended until August 28.
“These (measures) will take more time,” Andal said, as he requested cooperation from parents and visitors.
The school will also install additional CCTV cameras in classrooms and hallways, additional metal detectors, and X-ray machines at designated pedestrian entrances, strengthen real-time monitoring, and implement better visitor reception and holding areas, Andal said.
“The security audit can help determine where and how these measures can be deployed most effectively. Its findings will guide a stronger plan, covering facilities, access control, personnel deployment, technology, emergency preparedness, and coordination with law enforcement,” the Jesuit priest added.
However, Andal stressed that “what happens at home is just as important as what happens in school.”
“Keeping our students safe also requires close cooperation between the school and families,” he said.
“Strengthening safety also requires a clear understanding of the incident itself,” he said, adding that in the recent shooting incident, authorities found the University followed security protocols in pursuing safety, and the University records relevant to the investigation.
“Healing must be grounded in truth,” he stressed, as he concluded, “We will continue to face it with honesty, with resolve, and care for our community.”
Dr. Norvie Jalani, a parent of a high school student at ADZU who also teaches at its School of Medicine, told MindaNews they are not asking the school to promise that nothing bad will ever happen. “No school and no security system can guarantee zero risk. What parents are asking for is reasonable, that lessons (from the tragedy) are learned, weaknesses are addressed, procedures are strengthened, and the changes are clearly communicated before our children return.”
Jalani noted that psychological recovery and physical security cannot be separated. “Debriefing helps our children understand what happened. Prevention helps protect them from what could happen next. Both are necessary,” she said.
According to Jalani, children “should never become so accustomed to threats, violence, emergency drills, or frightening incidents that these things begin to feel normal.”
“They are not normal. They should never become normal. Schools are meant to be places where young people learn, discover who they are, build friendships, make mistakes, dream, and grow, not places where children have to wonder whether they might someday need to run, hide, or survive,” she said.
Dr. Loribel Adeser-Bontilao, who transferred her children from Manila to ADZU two months ago, recalls her first impression was that her children “are safe here.”
“Do you know why? Because ADZU takes security seriously,” she said.
Bontilao said one incident should not discredit the years of hard work and commitment the school has put into keeping its students safe.
“The reality is that security systems, no matter how effective they have been for years, cannot remain exactly the same forever. The world changes. Threats evolve. And systems must evolve with them. What was considered effective yesterday may no longer be enough tomorrow,” she said.
She continued: “What keeps us safe today is not a guarantee that it will keep us safe tomorrow… I will not let fear decide the kind of life my children should live. I want them to grow, not fearless, but brave. Not careless, but wise. Not dependent on my protection, but equipped with the values, discernment, faith, and courage to protect themselves and others. So I let go, not because I no longer care, but because I love them enough to prepare them for the world beyond me.” (Frencie L. Carreon, MindaNews)
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