14-Year-Old Las Piñas Student Faces Murder Rap Over Classmate's Death

MANILA, Philippines — A 14-year-old student accused of fatally stabbing his 13-year-old classmate over an unreturned P10 change in Las Piñas City now faces a murder complaint, according to local police. Las Piñas acting police chief Col. Fermin Armendarez III told dzMM on Monday, August 3, that the prosecutor recommended the initial murder complaint after investigators established intent to kill. "Doon sa paggamit ng kutsilyo at intent, kasi talagang sa puso eh. Na-establish ng mga investigators 'yung intent to kill kasi nga doon talaga itinama sa chest portion," Armendarez said. Armendarez said the child in conflict with the law is under the custody of Bahay Pag-asa. The July 31 incident allegedly began when the 14-year-old student handed P20 to the victim to buy a bottle of water at the school canteen. The victim returned with the water but allegedly failed to give back the change, leading to an argument. Police said the Grade 9 student allegedly pulled out a fan knife and stabbed the victim in the upper left chest. The victim was rushed to the Las Piñas District Hospital but was later declared dead. Face-to-face classes at Las Piñas National High School and Las Piñas National Senior High School-Diego Cera Campus are suspended from Monday, August 3, to Friday, August 7, following the stabbing incident. Lessons will temporarily shift to asynchronous and modular learning for a week to prioritize the mental health and psychological well-being of students and the school community. The suspension of in-person classes was ordered by Las Piñas Mayor April Aguilar-Nery, according to school principal Ignacio Son Jr. Mental health measures. The Teachers' Dignity Coalition on Sunday, August 2, urged the Department of Education to fully and immediately implement Republic Act No. 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, following a series of school violence incidents in the country. The teachers' group said measures beyond reinforced physical security are needed to address the emotional and psychological well-being of students and help prevent violence. The group said it welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s announcement during his State of the Nation Address last week on the proposed hiring of 10,000 school counselor associates, but added that the number remains far from enough given that there are more than 45,000 public schools in the country. "Schools alone cannot solve this problem... Preventing violence requires a genuine whole-of-society approach," the group said.