Duterte doubts teacher instigated brawl

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte cautioned those who are blaming the class adviser of the two students who figured in a stabbing incident outside the Jose L. Porras Elementary School.

In his television “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” on Sunday, Duterte downplayed a report published in a local newspaper (not in Sun.Star Davao) said he was bothered by the report that the teacher agitated the two to fight.

“Imbestigaron daw ang maestra kay she agitated tong iyang 18 kabuok estudyante nga mag-away. I’m not prejudging anybody here, but dili ko mutuo na buhaton na sa teacher na hagaron niya iyang mga estudyante mag ramble dira (The report claimed the teacher will be interrogated for pushing 18 students to a brawl. I’m not prejudging anyone here, but I don’t believe a teacher will do that),” Duterte said.

Duterte believes that a teacher is among those persons of authority, a role model of the students, and the very first person who would accost students in a brawl.

“Wala ko kasabot, ang maestra na nuon magsugo na mag ramble silang dira (I don’t get it; a teacher will order her students to fight each other)?” the mayor said.

Duterte called on the public not to easily accuse or condemn the teacher, adding they have yet to know the entire story. He said he would require more evidence and proof on the matter that it was done in bad fate or criminal intent.

“I seriously doubt na mao na ang gibuhat sa teacher (that the teacher did that). A teacher being a person in authority has in her favor the presumption that she did everything in the performance of duty, her regularly performed duties. You (The writer) interpreted it in a different way,” Duterte said.

Last week, a Grade 6 pupil was stabbed by her classmate outside the school in Barangay Wilfredo Aquino of Agdao District in Davao City on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., two days after a similar situation happened also inside the Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School.

The victim was identified as Ronan Pacuri Badayos, 13, student at the Jose Porras and a resident of Barangay Wilfredo Aquino, Agdao, Davao City.

Marcelo Jimenez, class adviser of the students, earlier told Sun.Star Superbalita that before the incident happened, the victim and the accused along with their classmates were preparing the classroom for the upcoming National Achievement Test.

Jimenez said the victim confronted and threw a broomstick to the accused for being noisy, adding he did not expect that the situation will end up in a fight since the two students looked while in his classroom.

"Wala man mipatuo si (name of child) so iya kining gilabay og silhig. Tambagan unta nako ang duha, apan migawas dayon si ---. Diay nag-atang na diay sya sa gawas. Ug ingon sa mga nakakita nagdala kini og kutsilyo (The suspect did not want to heed orders from his classmates, so the victim threw a broom at him. I wanted to intercede but the suspect left the classroom immediately. It turned out that he simply waited for the victim to emerge from the school. The suspect was armed by then),” Jimenez said.

Police Officer 2 Mechelle Luna, of Women and Children Protection’s Desk under Sta. Ana police station, said the victim sustained to six stab wounds in different parts of his body.

He was brought to Southern Philippines Medical Center for his medical treatment.

The suspect is now under the custody of Lamdag sa Kabataan of the City Social Services and Development Office for a psychological intervention.