Amid recent incidents of school violence, including the Tacloban school shooting last June, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Thursday that he misses the brand of discipline from parents and teachers of his generation that helped keep young people from turning to crime.
Lacson recalled that his generation was taught discipline at home and in school by their parents and teachers, whose guidance – and at times, tough love – instilled respect, responsibility and accountability at an early age.
“JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW: My generation must be missing our fathers’ belts, our mothers’ bamboo sticks and our teachers’ rulers. We were disciplined, always at home for the 6 o’clock evening prayers to receive our daily blessings from our elders. Those were the days,” Lacson wrote on X.
In Filipino: Lacson, Nami-Miss ang Disiplinang May ‘Tough Love’ Mula sa Magulang at Guro sa Gitna ng mga Insidente ng Karahasan sa Paaralan
JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW:
My generation must be missing our fathers’ belts, our mothers’ bamboo sticks and our teachers’ rulers.
We were disciplined, always at home for the 6 o’clock evening prayers to receive our daily blessings from our elders.
Those were the days.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) July 2, 2026
On Wednesday, the Senate’s hearing on the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City revealed that the two minors behind the deadly incident may have been manipulated by 764, an international online network of violent extremists.
The hearing also disclosed that one of the shooters allegedly shot his own best friend in the back during the June 22 incident.
The Tacloban school shooting was one of several recent incidents of violence in schools that fueled renewed calls for measures to address youth violence and delinquency.
Lacson recalled that when he was in elementary school, he and his siblings learned discipline from their mother Maxima, a strict disciplinarian who once ordered his elder brother to find and return a one-centavo coin he found while going home from school.
He also recalled that his mother would spank him if he came home late. But after disciplining him, she would also cry and remind him not to be hardheaded.
Lacson said such tough love helped instill the values of integrity and discipline that guided him throughout his public service career as law enforcer and lawmaker.
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Lacson, Nami-Miss ang Disiplinang May ‘Tough Love’ Mula sa Magulang at Guro sa Gitna ng mga Insidente ng Karahasan sa Paaralan
Sa gitna ng mga insidente ng karahasan sa paaralan, kabilang ang pamamaril sa isang paaralan sa Tacloban noong nakaraang Hunyo, sinabi ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Huwebes na nami-miss niya ang disiplina mula sa mga magulang at guro noong kanyang henerasyon na nakatulong upang mailayo ang maraming kabataan sa landas ng krimen.
Naalala ni Lacson na ang kanyang henerasyon ay naturuang maging disiplinado sa tahanan at sa paaralan ng kanilang mga magulang at guro, na ang kanilang paggabay — at minsan pati ang “tough love” — ay nagtanim ng paggalang, pananagutan at responsibilidad sa murang edad.
“JUVENILE JUSTICE LAW: My generation must be missing our fathers’ belts, our mothers’ bamboo sticks and our teachers’ rulers. We were disciplined, always at home for the 6 o’clock evening prayers to receive our daily blessings from our elders. Those were the days,” ani Lacson sa X.
Noong Miyerkules, ibinunyag sa pagdinig ng Senado hinggil sa pamamaril sa San Jose National High School sa Tacloban City na ang dalawang menor de edad na nasa likod ng madugong insidente ay posibleng naimpluwensiyahan ng 764, isang pandaigdigang online network ng mararahas na ekstremista.
Isiniwalat din sa pagdinig na isa sa mga suspek sa pamamaril ang umano’y bumaril sa likod ng sarili niyang matalik na kaibigan sa insidente noong Hunyo 22.
Ang pamamaril sa paaralan sa Tacloban ay isa lamang sa ilang nagdaang insidente ng karahasan sa mga paaralan na muling nagbigay-diin sa panawagan para sa mga hakbang upang matugunan ang karahasan at pagkakasangkot ng mga kabataan sa krimen.
Naalala rin ni Lacson na noong nasa elementarya siya, natuto siya at ang kanyang mga kapatid na maging disiplinado sa ilalim ng kanilang inang si Maxima, isang istriktong disciplinarian na minsang inutusan ang kanyang nakatatandang kapatid na hanapin at isauli sa may-ari ang isang sentimong baryang napulot nito habang pauwi mula sa paaralan.
Dagdag ni Lacson, naalala niya na pinapalo siya ng kanyang ina kapag siya ay umuuwi nang gabi. Ngunit matapos siyang disiplinahin, umiiyak din ito at pinapaalalahanan siyang huwag maging matigas ang ulo.
Ayon kay Lacson, ang ganitong “tough love” ang nakatulong sa paghubog ng mga pagpapahalagang tulad ng integridad at disiplina na nagsilbing gabay niya sa kanyang buong karera sa paglilingkod-bayan bilang tagapagpatupad ng batas at mambabatas.
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