All schools divisions in Western Visayas have been ordered to strengthen security measures in school premises following two separate stabbing incidents in Antique and Iloilo this week involving learners.
In an interview yesterday, Hernani Escullar Jr., information officer of the Department of Education in Western Visayas, said OIC-Regional Director Cristito Eco has emphasized that division superintendents and school heads can seek assistance from the police, particularly in schools identified as bullying hotspots.
“These are schools with learners who are somehow assessed by our school heads to be at risk or part of gangs. They can ask for police visibility outside our schools to ensure the safety of everyone,” Escullar said.
School officials, guards and watchmen, he said, must conduct rounds within the school premises and implement necessary interventions to prevent the entry of illegal weapons.
“During the opening of classes, there was a regional memorandum for school heads to coordinate with local law enforcement entities to ensure peace and order in schools. But with the large population of students, not all could be monitored and checked, so probably there were [only] random checks, thus these happened,” he said, referring to the stabbing incidents.
The first happened on Wednesday at San Joaquin School of Fisheries (SJSOF) in San Joaquin town, Iloilo, involving a Grade 9 and a Grade 10 learner.
According to reports, a commotion happened between the two students while they were doing cleanup activities in the morning. The Grade 9 learner was able to secure a knife and stabbed the other student.
The victim was referred to a hospital in Iloilo City for further treatment, while the minor suspect was endorsed to the San Joaquin Municipal Police Office and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) in compliance with child protection protocols.
“To maintain learning continuity, the school has implemented Alternative Delivery Modalities (ADM) for the affected learners,” according to a statement released by the DepEd Schools Division of Iloilo.
The other incident happened at Antique National School in San Jose de Buenavista on Thursday morning, July 3, involving four students from Grades 7, 10, 11, and 12.
Citing information, Escullar said a misunderstanding happened a day before the incident, followed by a confrontation on Thursday that resulted in the stabbing of two students.
The two victims (Grades 7 and 12) were immediately discharged after receiving appropriate medication for their injuries, while the two perpetrators (Grades 10 and 11) are in the custody of their local social welfare office.
The Schools Division of Antique said the parents of the involved students were called for a conference by the school administration and an internal investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to the incident.
Escullar said the regional office would ensure continuous learning for the affected students. (PNA)