Firearm, weapons recovered after Liloan student shares gun video in class group chat

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police have recovered a firearm, ammunition, and other prohibited weapons after school authorities reported that a 15-year-old student had allegedly displayed a firearm in a video shared through a private class group chat.

In an interview on Thursday, August 6, Police Lieutenant Colonel Dindo Juanito B. Alaras, chief of the Liloan Police Station, said that the child is now undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration. These are required under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

The station’s Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) is handling the case.

School report prompted investigation

According to the Liloan Municipal Police Station, the investigation began after the principal of Liloan National High School reported the incident to police at 1 p.m. on Monday, August 3.

The principal informed authorities that the student had displayed a firearm in a video circulated through a private class group chat.

The report prompted personnel from the station’s WCPD to coordinate with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO). They immediately launch a child-sensitive investigation in accordance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

Alaras said that the police met with the child and the child’s guardian at the school, where investigators conducted an interview and verified the report.

During the interview, the child provided information regarding the firearm seen in the video, prompting investigators to proceed to the identified location to verify the information.

At the location, the child’s father surrendered one snub-nosed revolver loaded with five live rounds of ammunition and one pair of brass knuckles fitted with an improvised knife.

Police said that the recovered items were inventoried, photographed, marked, and placed under the custody of Liloan Municipal Police Station. These will be kept for safekeeping, forensic examination, and proper disposition.

Investigation continues

As of Thursday, Alaras said that investigators were still determining how the firearm came into the child’s possession.

“Padayon pa ta’ng nagsubay kung giunsa pag-abot sa firearm sa iyang kamot. It doesn’t mean nga kung kinsa ang nag-surrender sa firearm mao to siya ang naghatag or nagpahuwam,” Alaras said.

(We are still tracking how the firearm ended up in his hands. It doesn’t mean that whoever surrendered the firearm was the same person who had given or lent it.)

Police are also verifying reports that the child kept the firearm for self-defense after experiencing physical attacks from other children in their area.

Authorities said that coordination with the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) is ongoing to determine the ownership and registration of the recovered firearm.

Police are likewise investigating the possible criminal liability of individuals who may have violated the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, Presidential Decree No. 9, and other applicable laws.

Police increase school presence

Meanwhile, Alaras said that the Liloan Municipal Police Station has intensified police visibility in schools across the municipality to curb similar incidents.

According to him, officers have been conducting campus visits, coordination meetings with school officials, and information drives aimed at strengthening school safety and preventing similar incidents.

He said that the station will continue working with schools and other stakeholders to monitor concerns affecting the safety and welfare of students and school personnel while the investigation remains ongoing.

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