WHETHER mauling incidents involving students happen inside or outside school premises, security guards in charge of keeping the school and students safe should intervene, Department of Education-Davao spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said.
A Grade 7 student, Peter Morado, was mauled by a gang of upper class boys of Davao City National High School (DCNHS) just outside the school in full view of the security guards who did not bother to help on the mere argument that it was outside the campus.
As claimed by the boy's mother, the guards only told Peter to get back at the bigger boys as he will no longer have any chance to do so with the school year already about to end.
Atillo told SunStar Davao that DCNHS is already investigating and is determining if the guards are to be held liable for not helping the first year student when he was mauled, thus they will just wait for the results of the investigation.
"Ginatan-aw nato ang extent sa responsibility sa mga personalities nato sa school kay if ever there is a semblance of truth sa allegation na wala aksyoni, then therefore, dili kini acceptable. Naa jud appropriate action ni ana (We are looking at the extent of responsibility of the personalities involved. And if there is truth to reports that the guards did not help, that is not acceptable. There would be appropriate actions on this incident)," Atillo said.
Atillo said whether the guard is designated to watch only the goings on inside the campus or not, they should have helped the child, especially because all those involved are students. He added that a life was involved.
"This is our social responsibility. According to the criminal law, if there is a situation or somebody who needs help in front of you, then you really have to do something about it," he said.
The mauling just outside the school last March 15 was brought to the attention of SunStar Davao when Maribeth Morado messaged SunStar through its Facebook page, reporting that her son, Peter Morado, was beaten up.
Morado, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Tajikistan, also claimed that despite the incident happening right outside the school, the security personnel did not make any move to help her son.
A school official revealed that the guards did not assist because the incident happened outside the campus.
When asked why the guards did not lift a finger even when the incident was in full view, the school official merely assured that they will investigate.
Peter underwent an operation of his jaw because of the mauling.