Sunday, July 06, 2008 Expelled student torches school By Ruby P. Silubrico
A 17-YEAR-old boy is presently facing arson charges for torching his school Wednesday.
Edwardo Leysa Jr. is under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of Barangay Caigon, Calinog, Iloilo, after he attempted to burn down six classrooms of Caigon Elementary School to take revenge on the school principal after she refused to accept him when he tried to enroll.
Leysa admitted the crime, saying that he torched the classrooms by setting fire on the textbooks around 7 p.m. until the fire quickly spread to the principal's office.
He added that prior to the incident he had a drinking spree with some friends.
He said when he went home later he passed by the school and thought of burning it down.
"I really didn't plan it but when I passed our school it suddenly came in to my mind to burn it because I was really mad at the principal for not enrolling me," Leysa said.
Leysa is supposed to be a graduating student of Caingon Elementary School. However, he was expelled for allegedly trying to kill his teacher last year and for being involved in a fist fight with his classmate.
"I begged my teacher to enroll me because I promised to myself that I will change but they still refused and I really got mad," he added.
