A 17-year-old Grade 10 student is in police custody after a fellow minor was stabbed in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, in an attack that investigators have traced to a longstanding personal dispute.
The Women and Children Protection Desk of the San Carlos City Police Station is handling the case, with police preparing charges against the suspect in line with juvenile justice laws. Officers said the bladed weapon believed to have been used was recovered, and that the suspect was taken into custody after a pursuit by responding personnel.
According to the initial investigation reported by Digicast Negros, the stabbing happened at around 3:40 p.m. on June 23 in Teachers Village, Bgy. 2, after classes had let out. The victim, a 17-year-old Grade 9 student, sustained a wound to the lower right portion of his abdomen, the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region said. He was rushed to San Carlos City Hospital for treatment.
Investigators said the violence stemmed from “old personal grudges,” and that the incident unfolded as a group of young people moved to confront rivals from their neighborhood.
The Schools Division Office of San Carlos City, in a June 23 statement, stressed that the attack happened away from school grounds. It said the victim had earlier flagged a possible threat from other students to a teacher, but the conversation was pushed back as the school day went on and classes were dismissed before it could resume.
The teacher, according to the office, instructed the student to remain on campus while the school reached out to his parent or guardian. The student left before that guardian arrived.
“The incident subsequently occurred,” the office said.
It added that it acted quickly once informed: “Upon learning about the incident, the Schools Division Office, in coordination with the school administration, immediately took appropriate steps to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of the learner and the entire school community.”
The office said it is keeping watch over developments alongside school officials, parents, and authorities. Before the stabbing, the school had already begun holding classroom discussions and debriefing sessions on campus safety, reminding students to stay alert and to seek out trusted adults when they feel unsafe.
