Senior high student dies in fistfight in Binalbagan

A 17-year-old senior high school student died after he was involved in a fistfight inside a school in Barangay Payao,  Binalbagan.

Authorities identified the fatality as Joren Erol John Garcia, a resident of Sitio Tonggo, Barangay Cabadiangan of the town.

Maj. Randy Babor, Binalbagan municipal police chief, said that based on their investigation, Garcia and the suspect, whom he requested not be identified for being a minor, met at a narrow passageway inside the school premises.

For no reason whatsoever, the suspect allegedly punched Garcia multiple times until he collapsed on the pavement.

Garcia was initially rushed to the Binalbagan Infirmary and later to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City for treatment, but he later passed away on the same day.

The suspect, meanwhile, went into hiding after the incident, but on Friday, October 20, he surrendered to the police and was placed under the custody of the town's social welfare and development office.

Despite being a minor, Babor said they will still file the criminal charge of homicide against the suspect on Monday, October 23.

Police are also investigating reports that a second suspect, believed to be a student of the said school, was also involved in Garcia's death.

The school where the incident happened, meanwhile, has refused to give a statement of the incident and instead requested the local media to wait for the official statement from the Department of Education (DepEd) schools division in Binalbagan.

The local schools division is also conducting its own investigation over the incident.*