Student dies in Negros Occidental school assault.

BACOLOD CITY -- A Grade 12 student in a public school at Barangay Payao of Binalbagan town in Negros Occidental province died on Oct. 19 after he was allegedly punched by a 17-year-old schoolmate on the same day, police said.

Police Maj. Randy Babor, Binalbagan police chief, said the victim, an 18-year-old senior high school student, hit his head on the ground after the suspect attacked him with the help of the latter's two siblings and two unidentified individuals.

The police, who withheld the names of the victim and the suspects, said the victim was taken to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in this city where he died.

Babor said the 17-year-old suspect surrendered to the police the following day and was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the province and may face homicide charges.

The Negros Occidental provincial government has expressed its 'profound sorrow' for the death of the victim.

'We strongly condemn this atrocity which now puts the school, the personnel and the learners in a bad light,' the local government said in a statement issued on Monday.

Steps taken

The Department of Education (DepEd) in Negros Occidental, it said, is taking all the necessary steps to shed light on the matter and eventually to...