Bacolod student cleared after ‘shabu’ scare tests negative
By Glazyl M. Jopson
By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY — A substance recovered from a 17-year-old Grade 9 student at a school in Barangay Banago here Monday tested negative for shabu, Police Lt. Benjo Ballo Allo, head of Police Station 3, said.
In a Wednesday phone interview, Allo said laboratory results showed the substance did not contain methamphetamine hydrochloride, the compound found in shabu.
He said officers initially suspected the material was alum, or “tawas,” because it lacked the brittle texture typical of shabu.
Laboratory testing was still needed to confirm that, he said.
The student has since been released from the custody of the Social Development Center.
Allo said the teenager repeatedly denied possessing illegal drugs.
The student was in tears after school personnel turned him over to authorities, Allo said.
Police are also investigating whether the incident was a prank.
The student was first flagged by a school guard after another student reported he was carrying a firearm on campus.
A search turned up no weapon.
Investigators are coordinating with the school to identify who may have placed the suspected alum in the student’s bag.
At a news briefing Wednesday, Police Col. Eugene Rebadomia, director of the Bacolod City Police Office, said the teenager may be a victim.
He urged parents to closely monitor their children for signs of emotional distress and to provide psychological support.
Authorities also asked the public to remain vigilant against individuals who may target or victimize students.
Secretary to the Mayor Marty Go said in a separate interview that the city has coordinated with the Department of Education-Bacolod on the incident.
Go said the other student involved has been identified, and both students have been placed on an alternative delivery mode — a DepEd setup allowing students to continue coursework outside the traditional classroom — pending a schedule for psychosocial intervention.
He said the other student is the one who reported the teenager to the school guard.
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