At least one person was killed and four others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Friday (September 18, 2026), the Provincial Governor said.
The Department of Education said it was deeply concerned over the reported shooting in Banga town in South Cotabato. Police had earlier confirmed a shooting had taken place. The incident follows two shootings since June at schools in the south of the country. A student last month live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga before taking his own life. The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluation requirements, although illegal firearms remain in circulation. The incident also follows a high-profile incident in Thailand in August, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok.
In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.
Provincial Governor Reynaldo Tamayo told Reuters at least one person was dead and four wounded but provided no details on the shooter or casualties.
School shootings were previously rare in the Philippines.
