A 15-year-old Grade 10 student was caught carrying a handgun and live ammunition inside Catarman National High School in Barangay Dalakit, Catarman, Northern Samar, on Thursday afternoon, October 1, 2026, police reported on Friday.
A classroom teacher learned about the firearm around 2:10 p.m. after being alerted by another student. During an initial check, the teacher discovered an erased-serial-number .45 caliber pistol, four magazines, and 10 rounds of live ammunition hidden inside the minor’s sling bag.
School authorities immediately reported the incident to the Catarman Municipal Police Station, whose responding officers documented the seizure and took charge of the physical evidence.
During initial questioning, the student claimed the weapon belonged to his father.
Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) spokesperson Lt. Col. Analiza Armeza stated that the minor expressed no violent intent or plan to execute a school attack.
“He had no target nor did he have a plan to shoot anyone. He just brought the firearm inside the school,” Armeza said.
Armeza added that because the firearm lacked a serial number, it is officially classified as a loose firearm. Authorities are currently verifying the minor’s claim regarding his father’s ownership and investigating how the student obtained the weapon.
The minor was turned over to the Catarman Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for psycho-social assessment and intervention under Republic Act 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act).
Following the recovery, PRO-8 leadership and local police officials met with school administrators to review existing campus safety protocols and strengthen security measures to prevent similar incidents.