Metro Manila, Philippines – A firearm and a Swiss knife were recovered from an elementary school student at Barangay Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental during an inspection on Oct. 21, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.
In a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the police said the classmates initially reported the matter to their class adviser after the student was seen with a Swiss knife. A later inspection of the student’s school bag revealed a firearm.
Authorities recovered a caliber .380 pistol, a magazine, and five live ammunition.
The police took custody of the items as investigators sought to determine ownership and how these landed in the child’s possession.
The PNP said it has coordinated with the Department of Education, local government, social welfare authorities, and the parents of the affected pupils.
PNP chief PGen Jose Nartatez Jr. reiterated that the responsibility to keep learning environments safe does not solely rest on the police but on the communities as well.
“Kapag may napansin tayong kakaiba, huwag nating isipin na maliit na bagay lang. Tell a teacher, tell your parents, tell the authorities. Mas mabuti nang makapag-check tayo agad kaysa magsisi tayo kapag may nangyari na,” Nartatez said.
[Translation: If you ever notice something off, do not conclude already that it’s a small thing. Tell a teacher, tell your parents, tell the authorities. It would be better if we checked promptly rather than regretting it when an unfortunate event happened.]
