Student brings handgun to school, arrested

Instead of putting books and notebooks inside his bag, a high school student turned over to the police Tuesday, admitted he always carried a gun to school in his bag because danger could come even in learning institutions.

Elizalde Zapata, 21, admitted before operatives of the Central Police District-Criminal Investigation Unit that he carried the .38 caliber revolver seized in his possession.

Faculty members of E. Rodriguez High School in Barangay N.S. Amoranto, La Loma, Quezon City, said Zapata had repeated every level several times after flunking most subjects.

Zapata’s schoolmates said he is the founder of fraternity called "First Notorious Criminal" but he could not explain why he formed the gang.

Barangay watchmen arrested the student near the campus gate Tuesday at 4 p.m. after they received several complaints from students and their parents that Zapata often displayed his handgun to threaten schoolmates.

He told operatives of the Criminal Investigation Unit that he had to carry a handgun to protect the members of his gang after one of them was mauled by a rival gang.

Charges of illegal possession of firearm are being readied against Zapata. – Pia Lee-Brago