16-Year-Old Student Apprehended With Handgun in South Cotabato; School Safety Act Deliberations Intensify

MANILA, Philippines — Another potential attack at a public school was foiled after one of its students was caught with a handgun before entering campus in Tupi, South Cotabato, the Philippine National Police reported yesterday. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the 16-year-old suspect, whom he did not identify, was charged for violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition. The student was apprehended along a highway in Barangay Poblacion at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, about five minutes after a concerned citizen spotted him while holding a handgun. The firearm is a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, which the suspect took from his brother – a soldier assigned with the Army’s 6th Infantry Battalion. Philippine Army Col. Louie Dema-ala said an investigation is underway on how the student was able to get hold of the military-issued firearm. “The Philippine Army will thoroughly look into this incident and will not tolerate any negligence on the part of its personnel in the handling and accountability of issued firearms,” Dema-ala said. “We take this matter seriously and will conduct an internal comprehensive investigation in accordance with existing policies governing individual responsibility over issued weapons. Appropriate actions will be taken against those found accountable,” he added. The student admitted taking the gun without the knowledge or consent of his brother. He claimed that he brought the firearm for self-defense. Police did not elaborate. Nartatez lauded the police officers for their swift response as it prevented a potential tragedy from unfolding inside the school. “This incident reminds us that school safety requires constant vigilance from both law enforcement and the community,” Nartatez said in a statement. “The timely report from a concerned citizen made all the difference. It shows that public vigilance and immediate reporting can help prevent incidents before lives are put at risk.” Sen. Bam Aquino yesterday called for the immediate passage of the proposed School Safety Act, saying schools must remain places of learning and hope instead of fear following recent tragedies involving students. Aquino made the appeal as the Senate committee on basic education, which he chairs, began deliberations on the measure aimed at strengthening safety and security in schools nationwide. “We are here because we believe schools should be places of learning, not places of fear. They should be places where parents are confident that their children will return home safely after going to school,” Aquino said. “We want to ensure that what happened in Tacloban, Aurora and other parts of the country will never happen again,” he added, referring to the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City that claimed the lives of three students and the drowning of two Ateneo de Manila University student-athletes during a team-building activity in Aurora. Aquino said the hearing seeks to determine whether existing laws, policies and programs are sufficient to protect students, teachers and school personnel and to identify reforms that would prevent similar incidents from happening again. Flagging the alarming increase in “copycat” school-related violence since the Tacloban incident, he said at least 14 schools became targets of stabbing incidents involving students, and online bomb and gunfire threats that led to class suspensions from June 16 to July 6. Aquino said the proposed legislation has evolved from an anti-bullying measure into a comprehensive school safety bill covering both violence prevention and emergency preparedness. Among its proposed provisions are the wider use of closed-circuit television systems and other appropriate security measures, stronger emergency response protocols, expanded mental health and psychosocial support services, and closer coordination among schools, local government units and law enforcement agencies. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian urged the government to deploy newly created school counselor associates first to areas with the highest reported cases of bullying. – Michael Punongbayan, Mark Ernest Villeza, Marc Jayson Cayabyab