South Cotabato Schools, Police Forge Safety Measures After Student Spotted With Gun

MANILA, Philippines — The Schools Division Office of South Cotabato and the local police are crafting measures intended to protect students and school personnel, and prevent violence on campus, according to the Department of Education. DepEd said the move stemmed from what authorities described as a foiled attack in Tupi town, where a student was reportedly spotted carrying a gun near a school. The agency said that administrators of the Tupi National High School immediately implemented necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of students, teachers and non-teaching personnel as well as the entire school community. “Based on the report submitted by the school, no firearm was recovered within the school premises. Police located the student outside the school, where appropriate verification and investigation were conducted,” the agency said. DepEd said the student was placed under the custody of the municipal social welfare and development office. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that officials of the Tupi National High School immediately coordinated with the police and reported the matter to the Schools Division Office. “Our priority is the safety and security of the learning environment as well as respect the rights of the learners,” DepEd said. Angara said that bomb scares and other threats of violence directed at schools increased recently, but experts said some of these threats were mere “copycats.”