- School metes suspension on Grade 11 student
A GRADE 11 student from a private institution in the city was placed under immediate suspension after cracking a joke about bringing a firearm to school during a routine security inspection on Thursday morning, Aug. 27.
Department of Education (DepEd) XI spokesperson Jenielito Atillo confirmed the incident, stating that the male learner made the remark directly to inspecting staff.
“What happened was that a Grade 11 student joked during the inspection that he would just bring his gun the following day,” Atillo told TIMES in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon.
Following the remark, school administrators immediately sought guidance from the police to determine the appropriate administrative and safety protocols.
Atillo confirmed that the student is currently serving a suspension while school authorities conduct a formal review of the incident.
DepEd backs school security protocols
DepEd XI affirmed that existing department guidelines permit private and public educational institutions to issue suspensions for behavior that compromises campus safety or triggers security alarms.
Atillo commended the school administration for its strict enforcement of entry protocols and rapid handling of the situation.
“It is allowed under policy, especially since what he did was dangerous,” Atillo stated. “What happened was very delicate, so the school subjected him to due process—not jailed, just suspended.”
The DepEd spokesperson warned students across the Davao Region to refrain from making jokes regarding firearms, explosives, or campus violence, emphasizing that school safety protocols treat all threats with utmost seriousness.
As of press time, the school has yet to issue an official public statement regarding the incident.
Photo from DepEd XI
