Last victim of South Cotabato school shooting laid to rest

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — A month after the deadly shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, the last of the three students who died in the incident was laid to rest on Saturday, Oct. 17, as grieving relatives renewed their call for justice.

Angelito Perra, 14, who was shot in the back during the attack carried out by a fellow student, was buried at the Banga Public Cemetery following a funeral Mass held before noon.

Hundreds of mourners, including relatives, friends, classmates, teachers, and officials from the Department of Education and the local government, joined the burial rites.

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Emotions ran high as Angelito’s remains were placed inside his tomb. His mother struggled to let go of her son, while his father, Ariel, tried to remain strong.

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Family members called for those responsible for the shooting to be held accountable and demanded swift justice for Angelito and another victim, Chaldean.

For Ariel Perra, losing Angelito also meant losing a son who had been helping him earn a living and support their family.

He said Angelito would help deliver scrap metal, plastic and other recyclable materials to junk shops every afternoon after school.

The teenager also regularly brought his younger siblings to school and picked them up afterward.

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Ariel said his son had dreamed of finishing school and becoming a soldier so he could help his family and support his siblings’ education.

Before Angelito was finally laid to rest, his relatives brought his motorcycle to the cemetery and revved its engine loudly as a final tribute. The motorcycle was the same one he had used every day to travel to school.

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For his family, the sound of its engine served as a symbolic farewell to the teenager whose dreams were cut short by the school shooting.

Meanwhile, public and private schools at all levels in Banga are set to resume face-to-face classes on Monday, Oct. 19, a month after the deadly shooting.

Mayor Albert Palencia issued a memorandum on Thursday on the resumption of in-person classes following preparations by government agencies to ensure the safety of students and school personnel.

The town had implemented asynchronous learning from Oct. 12 to 16 as a precautionary measure.

During that period, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and partner agencies conducted psychological assessments of students and school personnel to help prepare them for their return to classrooms.

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Palencia also directed school administrators to coordinate with local authorities and prioritize the safety and well-being of students and teachers as regular classes resume.