17-year-old beaten to death by classmates

A 17-year-old student of Manuel I. Santos Memorial National High School in Taytay, Rizal died on Friday supposedly after he was beaten to death by his classmates, an exclusive report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday said.

Identified as John Mark "Moy-Moy" A. Lucero, the victim was reported to have been beaten by several of his classmates on March 25, when he came home with bruises on his limbs, and his mouth swollen and dripping with blood. He was rushed to the hospital where he fell into comatose before he died on April 7.

"Trip-trip lang talaga. 'Yung bigla-bigla na lang silang susuntukin, ganyan, pagkakatuwan," his mother Arlene Lucero said.

"'Pag pinatulan niya baka raw po pagtulungan siya kasi kaklase niya lang rin lahat," she added, noting that her son identified those involved in the incident.

According to the report, the incident was reported to the school's officials, but it has taken no action so far.

"Ang sagot sa akin ng guidance, hindi raw po sila makapagdesisyon ng ganon at walang incident report mismo na nagyari 'yun," Lucero said.

For its part, the local police said they will be coordinating with officials from the school to further investigate the matter.

"I-follow up po namin 'yung adviser, kung sino po 'yun, [at] 'yun pong guidance counselor nila ng school para alamin po namin kung sino po 'yung mga estudyante po na classmate po na pwedeng ika-reason or ikatamo ng sugat bago namatay 'tong biktima," Police Officer 2 Ahrenz Comaad said.

Meanwhile, Lucena is appealing to her son's classmates to reveal what really happened.

"Sabihin nila talaga kung ano nangyari, kung sumasama ba 'yung anak ko sa kanila para may dahilan silang saktan ng ganyan," she said.

Officials of the school, as well as the students supposedly involved and their parents, have not released any statement so far. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News