A 14-year-old Grade 10 student in Tolosa, Leyte was taken into custody and turned over to the local Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after allegedly threatening to shoot or stab fellow students, authorities said Thursday.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said police responded to the reported threat on Wednesday night after Sen. Bam Aquino alerted him about online chatter involving a possible school attack.
Remulla said the student, who attends Tolosa National High School, allegedly posted a message in the vernacular warning that she would “disrupt” the school and telling students to prepare for anyone who would be “shot or stabbed.”
“The suspect is accused of planning a mass shooting or stabbing aimed at the school’s students,” Remulla said during a press briefing at Camp Crame.
According to Remulla, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) went to the student’s residence about three hours after the tip was received. The online message was later deleted following the CIDG’s engagement with the student and her family.
Remulla said investigators are looking into several possible motives behind the threat, including personal and family issues. He also said the student may have been influenced by the recent shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two students allegedly killed three schoolmates and injured 20 others.
“Following the engagement with their family, along with investigation results, the threat appears to be neutralized and inactive,” Remulla said.
He added that authorities found no evidence of an organized plan or involvement of other individuals. Investigators also found that neither the student nor her family had access to firearms.
Remulla clarified that the student will not face criminal charges because she is a minor.
“The kid was not charged with anything. Again, she’s 14 years old. She was brought to the DSWD for interview but she cannot be charged with anything,” he said.