Gun, ammunition recovered from Liloan student

Local

A FIREARM, ammunition and other prohibited weapons were recovered from a high school student in Liloan in the latest school security incident to emerge in Cebu.

Police on Wednesday, Aug. 5, confirmed responding to reports of a student at the Liloan National High School, allegedly showing a firearm in a video circulated through a private class group chat.

The school's principal reported the incident that prompted law enforcers to conduct a ‘child-sensitive’ investigation with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), according to the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO).

In turn, authorities recovered a snub-nose revolver, five live rounds of ammunition, and brass knuckles fitted with an improvised knife.

During the interview, the child, who is also identified as a child in conflict with the law (CICL), voluntarily disclosed information about the firearm seen in the video.

Acting on the information, investigators proceeded to the identified location, where the firearm and other prohibited weapons were voluntarily surrendered.

The recovered items have been inventoried, photographed and placed under police custody pending forensic examination and proper disposition, police said.

Law enforcers are now coordinating with the Firearms and Explosives Office to determine whether the recovered revolver is registered and to identify its lawful owner.

They are also determining whether criminal charges may be filed against individuals for unlawful possession of certain deadly weapons, a violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and Presidential Decree No. 9.

The case comes as schools across Cebu have tightened security in the wake of the deadly shooting in Tacloban City, and a series of bomb and shooting hoaxes that disrupted classes in several areas here this week.

In the meantime, police said they are handling the investigation under the restorative justice framework.

Likewise, they are working with social workers, the Department of Education, and the child's parent or guardian to provide the interventions required by law while pursuing accountability for those responsible for the illegal possession of the firearm.

"Our immediate priority was to ensure that the firearm was safely recovered and that any threat to the community was addressed," Col. Abubakar Udang Mangelen, director of the CPPO, said.(RBE)