Police identify suspect in stabbing of UST student

MANILA, Philippines—Investigators have identified one of the female suspects who allegedly stabbed a University of Santo Tomas student inside the Far Eastern University campus in Manila Tuesday evening, police said Wednesday.

Captain Antonio Naag, head of the University Belt Area Police Community Precinct, said the identified suspect is a nursing student from FEU, but refused to release her name to the media as further investigation is ongoing to determine her participation in the attack.

Naag said the identified student has been invited for questioning, but her father appealed to just take his daughter to them in the presence of their lawyer.

As per Far Easter University’s CCTV camera footages during the incident, Naag said four other female personalities were involved in the crime, but added that the footages were “unclear,” giving them a hard time to identify the others who were all wearing civilian attires.

Possible expulsion

In the light of investigations tagging several FEU students in the incident, Albert Cabasada III, the university’s Admission and External Relations Officer director, said the subject students will be “expelled” from the school if investigations will conclude that they were part of the attack against Reyes.

“If the investigation team would identify and confirm [their involvement], we have our own student code and they will be expelled,” he said in a phone interview, on the grounds of committing a “major offense.”

In an official statement, Cabasada said FEU is taking the matter “very seriously” and all initial facts pertaining to the case were gathered and turned over to the authorities last night [Tuesday].”

“FEU is giving its full cooperation in the investigation making all its resources, including on-campus CCTV footages and access to witnesses available to the investigating team of the Philippine National Police,” the statement further read.

He also said school officers have been sent to the Chinese General Hospital to check on the condition of Reyes, and to give assistance to the victim.

The university, Cabasada said, is also taking steps to improve overall safety and security inside the campus. “Student monitoring and counseling are being undertaken, as well,” he added.