Grade 9 student investigated after suspected shabu seized at Leyte school

TACLOBAN CITY – A 14-year-old Grade 9 student is under investigation after school personnel at Javier National High School in Javier, Leyte, allegedly recovered a sachet containing suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) on campus. Police and social welfare authorities have intervened in the case. The student, identified only by the alias “CMC” to protect his identity, was taken into custody on Thursday, July 16, after a school employee found the sachet with a white crystalline substance believed to be an illegal drug. Police said personnel from the Javier Municipal Police Station responded to a request for assistance from the school around 11:30 a.m. after teachers reported the incident. Initial investigation showed that the student and two classmates were being reprimanded by school personnel for loitering near the staircase leading to the school’s roof deck. While they were being escorted to the guardhouse, the student allegedly took a small plastic sachet from his pocket and threw it toward a parked electric bicycle. A school staff member immediately retrieved the sachet and discovered that it contained a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu. The three students were brought to the principal’s office, where school officials immediately notified the police. Responding officers coordinated with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of Javier, which provided assistance in handling the case involving a child in conflict with the law (CICL), in accordance with existing juvenile justice procedures. The recovered sachet was marked and inventoried in the presence of the school employee who recovered it, an MSWDO social worker, two elected barangay officials from Poblacion Zone I, and the student’s parent. Police said they also attempted to secure the presence of a media representative during the inventory, but none was available. The evidence has been submitted to the Regional Forensic Unit 8 for laboratory examination to determine the substance’s identity and weight. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine how the student obtained the suspected illegal drugs and whether other individuals may have been involved. The incident has also raised concerns over the possible entry of illegal drugs into school campuses, with authorities reiterating the need for closer coordination among schools, parents, and law enforcement agencies to prevent drug-related activities involving minors. Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, minors who come into conflict with the law are entitled to special protection, intervention, and rehabilitation, with social welfare authorities taking a central role in safeguarding their rights throughout the legal process. Information source: Inquirer NewsInfo