MARAMAG, Bukidnon — A 10-year-old boy has died after being hospitalized for 18 days, amid allegations that he was beaten by three classmates inside a classroom in Barangay Bayabason, Maramag, Bukidnon.
The case drew public attention after reports circulated on social media on September 21, claiming that the child had been physically assaulted by classmates while their teacher or class adviser was not inside the classroom.
According to the boy’s mother, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), she was informed that three of her son’s classmates had allegedly ganged up on him. She claimed that the incident happened on August 26, 2026, at around 3:30 p.m., while the class adviser was reportedly absent from the classroom.
The mother said her son subsequently developed a high fever and was brought to a hospital. He remained confined for 18 days before he died in the early hours of September 21.
The alleged classroom incident was subsequently reported to the Maramag Municipal Police Station.
However, authorities have emphasized that the allegation of a school assault must be separated from the medically documented cause of the child’s death.
Police: Death Certificate Points to Medical Condition
In a clarification issued following the circulation of the allegations, authorities said the child’s official death certificate from the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital (BPH)–Maramag indicated a medical cause of death involving intracranial bleeding associated with severely low platelet levels, accompanied by severe pneumonia and thrombocytopenia.
Police said the medical records formed part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Authorities also pointed to the timeline of events. The reported confrontation among minors allegedly occurred on August 26, while the child was admitted to the hospital on September 2—more than a week after the reported classroom incident.
The authorities said the medical findings and the interval between the alleged incident and hospitalization do not establish that the classroom altercation directly caused the child’s death.
A separate media report citing the police investigation also reported that the child’s medical records indicated he had dengue fever when admitted to the hospital. The child’s mother, however, maintained her allegation that the classroom incident contributed to her son’s condition.
Allegation of Bullying Still Requires Proper Investigation
The distinction is important: the official medical cause of death does not, by itself, resolve questions surrounding the alleged confrontation inside the classroom.
Whether the child was physically assaulted by classmates, what exactly occurred inside the classroom, whether school personnel were present or absent at the time, and whether any school rules or child-protection procedures were breached remain matters that require proper investigation and documentation.
The identities of the minors allegedly involved should not be publicly disclosed, particularly because they are children. Allegations involving minors should likewise not be treated as established facts unless supported by official findings.
The school has yet to issue a formal public statement addressing the allegations, according to the information available. Authorities are expected to determine the circumstances of the reported classroom incident separately from the medical findings surrounding the boy’s death.
Authorities Appeal for Responsible Sharing
The Maramag authorities have appealed to the public and social media users to avoid spreading unverified claims about the case.
The appeal comes as emotionally charged posts about the child’s death continue to circulate online, potentially causing additional distress to the bereaved family and creating confusion over the distinction between an alleged school incident and the child’s documented medical condition.
The case remains a sensitive matter involving a deceased child, grieving relatives, and other minors who may have been involved in the reported classroom incident.
For now, the established facts are that a 10-year-old boy died on September 21 after an 18-day hospitalization, that an alleged confrontation involving classmates had earlier been reported to police, and that authorities have cited the child’s medical records and death certificate in identifying the documented causes of death.
Any determination of responsibility for the alleged school incident should await the findings of the appropriate authorities and the school’s formal investigation.