INTERIOR Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said he would coordinate with school officials to come up with measures to ensure the safety of students on campuses nationwide.
Abalos made the remarks after watching the video of third-year medical technology student Althea Vivien Mendoza, who was recently assaulted and shot by a fellow student at Saint Paul University in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
The incident occurred last November 11 at the parking lot of the university campus. The suspect, Kristian Rafael Ramos, also a third-year medical technology student at the same school, is under police custody.
Police officials earlier said a security guard and a library staff of the school heard Mendoza shouting for help from the suspect’s car.
The two approached the car and saw Ramos physically assaulting Mendoza. Ramos later alighted from the car and pointed a gun at them, forcing them to run for safety.
Ramos later shot Mendoza and fled on board his car. Mendoza was later brought to the Cagayan United Medical Doctors Hospital.
Ramos later surrendered to the Tuguegarao City police station.
“As the secretary of the DILG, I am not going to allow any kind of violence against women,” Abalos said in a statement issued last Monday night, adding he was appalled by what he saw in the video.
He assured the public that he would monitor the case to ensure justice would be served.
“I will also talk to our educators to find out how we can better ensure the safety of children inside campuses,” Abalos said.
“Hopefully, our schools can find better ways to detect troubled or disturbed individuals so that they can intervene sooner,” he added.
Abalos urged the public to “join me in an effort to put an end to violence against women and children.”
