A 14-year-old student in Cebu brought an unloaded revolver to school to intimidate students who allegedly bullied his friend, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said the Grade 9 student was not planning to carry out a shooting when he brought the firearm to Lut-od National High School in Pinamungajan, Cebu, on Aug. 20.
“Meron po siyang isang kabarkada na nabugbog or binu-bully, and then gusto lang nilang takutin, that’s why nagdala sila ng weapon,” Co said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.
A teacher intercepted the student after finding a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver inside his bag during a surprise inspection.
Co said the student told authorities that his friend had allegedly been beaten and bullied by older and bigger students, prompting them to bring a gun to scare the alleged bullies.
“Ang sinabi lang po ‘yung nabugbog or na-bully, and then mas malalaki, mas matatanda ‘yung mga nang-bully daw, so they have no other way daw kundi dapat may dala sila para matakot naman sa kanila,” Co said.
The student did not specifically say whether recent school shooting incidents influenced his decision to bring the firearm, according to Co.
The PNP spokesperson said the incident nevertheless showed the danger posed by minors gaining access to firearms.
Unlike firearms involved in other recent incidents involving minors, the revolver recovered from the Cebu student was an unregistered loose firearm, making it difficult for police to trace its ownership.
The student initially told authorities that he took the firearm, allegedly owned by his grandfather, from a cabinet where it was stored. He later recanted and said he did not know who owned the gun.
Because the firearm was unregistered, it was not included in the PNP’s database of firearms being monitored by authorities.
“Itong baril na ito ay an unregistered loose firearm. So hindi po ito kasama sa ating na-mo-monitor na baril,” Co said.
The case comes amid heightened concern over school violence following recent shooting incidents involving minors in Tacloban City and Zamboanga City.
Co also urged media organizations and the public to exercise restraint when reporting or sharing videos of shooting incidents, amid concerns that extensive exposure could contribute to copycat behavior.
He said authorities have yet to establish a direct link between media coverage and the recent incidents involving minors.
“We have to strike the proper balance between letting the public know as well as yung nago-glorify pa minsan,” Co said.
“While we respect and we give due course doon sa right of the public to know, ito ay pinag-aaralan din natin kung sometimes, the reports are too much,” he added.
Co said PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. had also appealed to the public not to share videos of shooting incidents, particularly footage from the recent incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
In that case, a Grade 8 student allegedly used two pistols belonging to his father, a now-suspended Bureau of Customs officer.
Co said the incident also highlighted the need for firearm owners to secure their weapons properly and prevent children from accessing them.
Comments