Manila, Aug. 8 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) schools division office in Nueva Ecija has tightened security within and around the vicinity of the Sta. Rosa Integrated School, which was the site of a shooting incident on Thursday.

The DepEd also condemned on Friday the shooting that left two students critically injured, sparking renewed calls for school safety and security.

In separate statements, both the DepEd Central Office and the Schools Division Office (SDO) denounced the Aug. 7 shooting, where an 18-year-old male suspect shot a 15-year-old female student before turning the gun on himself inside a classroom.

"We stand in full solidarity with the learners, teachers, and the entire school community affected by this appalling...