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Three students are escorted by authorities after a school safety inspection in Aparri, Cagayan on June 26, 2026. A caliber .38 revolver and a bladed weapon were recovered from two of the students during the inspection.
Philippine National Police via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Police recovered an unlicensed firearm and a bladed weapon from two students during a school safety inspection at a public school in Aparri, Cagayan on Friday, June 26.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said its personnel from the 1st Maneuver Force Company of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company conducted the activity in coordination with school officials.
Before the scheduled school patrol, police personnel inspected the belongings of three students who were reportedly being investigated for cutting classes after obtaining their consent.
During the inspection, authorities found a caliber .38 revolver without a serial number inside the bag of a 15-year-old Grade 10 student.
The firearm, which was wrapped in two face towels, was loaded with two live rounds of caliber .38 ammunition, the PNP said.
A bladed weapon was also recovered from the bag of a 14-year-old Grade 8 student.
The recovered items were marked, inventoried and photographed at the scene in the presence of the minors, their parents and barangay officials who served as witnesses.
The students were later brought to the Aparri Municipal Police Station for proper documentation and disposition.
The PNP said the incident was initially linked to class-cutting, which led school authorities to notify and invite the parents of the three minors.
The 15-year-old student found carrying the firearm was turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for assessment, including the determination of discernment under existing laws.
The Grade 8 student who had the bladed weapon was also referred to the MSWDO for intervention, while the third student who was not found carrying any prohibited item was released to his parents.
The inspection came amid heightened security measures in schools nationwide following the June 22 shooting incident in Tacloban City that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured.
PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the incident showed the importance of quick action and coordination among police, school authorities, parents and communities in preventing possible threats inside schools.
"Ang mabilis at maayos na pagtugon ng ating mga pulis, kasama ang school authorities, ay nakatulong upang maagapan ang isang sitwasyong maaaring magdulot ng panganib sa loob ng paaralan," Nartatez said.
He said early intervention and close coordination among different stakeholders are important in addressing situations involving students before they could result in harm.
"Our objective is not simply to recover prohibited items but to prevent harm and guide our young people toward better choices," the PNP chief said.
Nartatez said the police will continue working with the Department of Education, local government units, parents and communities to keep schools safe.
