A Grade Six pupil was found in possession of an unloaded .38-caliber revolver inside a public elementary school in Almeria, Biliran on Wednesday, prompting police and social welfare authorities to intervene amid heightened concern over the involvement of minors in school-related incidents.
The firearm was confiscated from the pupil at the Pulang Bato Elementary School after school officials alerted personnel at the Almeria Municipal Police Station during a police school visitation at around 2:50 p.m.
Police said the school principal turned over a .38-caliber revolver without ammunition that reportedly had been taken from the child.
School CCTV footage showed that the pupil entered the school’s comfort room, where he showed the gun to another minor.
Authorities also learned during their initial intervention that the pupil and the minor were close friends.
A photograph reportedly showing the two together in the school comfort room was also considered as part of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Police, however, did not disclose the identity of the other child or provide further details about the photograph.
The discovery comes just weeks after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two students aged 14 and 15 were arrested in connection with an attack that killed three students and injured 20 others.
Police said firearms were used in the incident, prompting authorities to strengthen security measures and coordination with schools across Eastern Visayas.
The Tacloban shooting has heightened concerns over how minors gain access to firearms and the need for schools, parents, law enforcement agencies, and local governments to work together to prevent similar incidents.
Following the recovery of the firearm in Almeria, responding police officers coordinated with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, the barangay chairman, the school principal, and the child’s parent.
After the necessary interview, assessment, and counseling, the child was turned over to the parent for appropriate diversion proceedings in accordance with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
The recovered firearm was brought to the Almeria Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.
The Biliran Police Provincial Office said it would continue strengthening its Safer Schools Initiative through regular school visits, coordination with school administrators and local officials, and community engagement
The police urged parents, teachers, and community members to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities or security concerns involving schools to authorities for immediate verification and appropriate action.