Student in stabbing incident already suspended — FEU official

The Far Eastern University (FEU) has suspended one of its students involved in the stabbing incident that occurred inside its Manila campus on October 2.   In a statement issued Wednesday, Albert Cabasada III, FEU director for admissions and external relations, said they "[do] not condone any form of violence in any of our campuses.”   “Any student who is deemed part of any act of violence, such as the one committed last week, will immediately be placed under preventive suspension,” he said.   The statement was issued a day after six of its students were charged with frustrated murder for stabbing University of Santos Tomas student Joanne Lourdes Reyes, who was at the FEU Manila campus to attend a film showing.   The suspects, who were charged before the Manila City Prosecutor's Office, remain at large, even as the police were urging them to surface and shed light on the incident. Expulsion   According to Cabasada, expulsion awaits the involved students once their guilt is proven.   "They will be expelled from the university once their involvement has been firmly established and proven. We do not and will not protect any student involved in such reprehensible acts," he said.   FEU assured their students and their parents that the school is already implementing stricter bag inspections and visitor admission in its effort to increase campus security. It also said it has turned over information to investigating authorities, and has given them full access to the CCTV footage of the incident. Assistance to victim   FEU reiterated that it has categorically offered financial aid to the victim and her family.   "FEU is still willing to extend its assistance should they decide to accept it," Cabasada said.   Cabasada said the statement was issued "to set the matter straight in light of recent news reports about FEU’s supposed lack of action on the October 2 incident and negligence to extend assistance to the complainant."   According to a previous report, Reyes’ mother, Arlene Concepcion, felt that FEU was insincere in its efforts to help her eldest daughter.   “When I arrived at the emergency room, the only companions my daughter had were her friends,” Concepcion had earlier told GMA News.   “[FEU] shouldn’t have left my daughter. This [incident] happened on their campus and yet they only offered to help yesterday. They asked for my consent in paying for our hospital bills,” she said in an October 6 report.   Cabasada earlier said the FEU Student Affairs and Security Offices assisted Reyes and brought her to the Chinese General Hospital.   "FEU will continue to cooperate with the police and local government officials in their investigation," Cabasada said in Wednesday’s statement.   On its official website, FEU urged those with information about the incident to come forward and facilitate the resolution of the case. — Carmela G. Lapeña/KBK, GMA News