Manila: A male Grade 9 student of a public high school in Bacolod has been taken into protective custody by police after being found in possession of suspected illegal drugs during a routine campus security inspection. The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) disclosed this information on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the 17-year-old student was discovered with two sachets containing approximately 30 grams of suspected shabu, with an estimated value of PHP204,000. The discovery was made by a security guard who found the sachets inside the student's bag during a routine check at the school's exit gate in Barangay Banago.

Following the discovery, personnel from the Bacolod City Police Station 3 and the City Intelligence Unit responded promptly. The minor was taken into protective custody and later endorsed to the Social Development Center, following existing laws and procedures for handling children in conflict with the law. The suspected illegal drugs have been submitted to a forensic laboratory for qualitative examination.

PRO-NIR spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong stated that investigators are working to determine the source of the illegal drugs and whether the minor was exploited by individuals involved in drug trafficking. PRO-NIR Director Brig. Gen. Romano Cardi±o emphasized the need for collaboration between schools, parents, communities, and law enforcement to protect youth from illegal drugs. He highlighted the incident as a reminder of the critical role of school security personnel in maintaining safe learning environments.

This incident follows a series of drug-related discoveries involving students in the area. On June 21, a 21-year-old male Grade 11 student was arrested in Bacolod for possessing approximately 300 grams of shabu during a buy-bust operation. Additionally, on June 8, a female Grade 7 student in neighboring Talisay City was found with drug paraphernalia reported by school authorities.