Leyte student briefly held over threats of campus attack

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MANILA, Philippines — A 14-year-old student from Tolosa, Leyte province, was released hours after being taken into police custody and turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for allegedly posting online threats of a school attack, with authorities later finding no evidence of an organized plan or immediate danger.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday that the Grade 10 student of Tolosa National High School could not be charged under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, prompting her release after police intervention and assessment by social welfare authorities.

The student had been taken into custody by operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) following a tip from Sen. Bam Aquino regarding a threatening social media post that surfaced Wednesday night.

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