DepEd probes fatal school punching incident in Cebu

The Department of Education is investigating a fatal punching incident at a Cebu school last week.

DepEd assistant secretary Tonisito Umali said they want to get to the bottom of the case soonest, radio dzBB's Rodil Vega reported Sunday.

The report said the DepEd wants to find out how the incident took place inside the school premises.

It said the DepEd also wants to see if there was negligence on the part of teachers that led to the tragedy.

Last Oct. 2, a nine-year-old pupil died after figuring in a fistfight with a classmate in the public elementary school in Bantayan town.

The boy had difficulty breathing after being hit four times in the nape and then in the face, RGMA Cebu's Kit Matus Cortez reported on dzBB radio Friday.

He was rushed to the Bantayan District Hospital but died before he could be brought there, the report added.

Bantayan police head Senior Inspector Jaime Santillan cited initial information indicating the fight occurred during lunch break on Thursday.

The classmate who punched the boy was placed in the custody of the municipal social welfare office. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News