NBI nabs suspect in South Cotabato school shooting, alleged groomer in Cebu

September 24, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said the agency has apprehended an individual linked to the recent school shooting in South Cotabato, and another individual who is a suspected online groomer in Cebu.

Matibag said they are being processed with the help of the National Prosecution Service and the Department of Justice.

“Yesterday we were able to get hold of one of the individuals na somehow related to what happened in South Cotabato. And yesterday also, we made an apprehension of one of the suspected groomers from Cebu,” Matibag said during the Senate budget hearing for the Department of Justice and attached agencies.

The NBI is also preparing to rescue 10 individuals associated with the group, he added.

The school shooting in South Cotabato is the third such incident this year, and authorities have linked this to online sites where students are allegedly encouraged to commit acts of violence.