DepEd to probe fatal schoolyard fight

The regional office of Department of Education (DepEd) has sent a legal team to Bantayan Island to investigate the death of a 9-year-old Grade 3 pupil of Vito Elementary School who allegedly engaged in a fist fight with his classmate Thursday afternoon.

DepEd is also urging all teachers to discipline their students to prevent fights from breaking out.

“They should guide and discipline their students. The guidance counselors have to do their job in helping students in resolving small issues that might cause fights,” said Dr. Arden Monisit, Deped provincial division superintendent of Cebu.

Monisit said they still have to look into the incident and see if the teachers of the school located in barangay Kangkaibe, Bantayan town have lapses.

The regional office targets to raise P250,000 as financial assistance to the family of Jiel Chrissy Desamparado through the program “Isang Pisong Pagmamahal”.

The students who witnessed the incident will undergo debriefing and the 10-year-old who hit Desamparado on the nape four times, will be taken into the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Doctors said Desamparado died of cardio-respiratory arrest and traumatic brain injuries.

The DSWD urged parents to be responsible in the values formation of their children.

“Parents and teachers should help one another in molding positive personalities of the children,” Grace Yana, a social worker said.

The local social welfare development office in Bantayan will handle the case and will decide on the rehabilitation program of the 10-year old offender.

“We can’t condemn the child because he is a minor. Instead, he will undergo a diversion or rehabilitation program,” Yana, a social worker, said.