CEBU

Murder at school

A LONE gunman shot and killed a 52-year-old teacher in Cebu City inside the victim?s classroom where he was checking his pupils? test papers.

Romeo Aguirre Duran, a native of Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental and class adviser of Grade 6 pupils in Binlod Elementary School in Argao town, took a bullet in the face and died instantly.

PO1 Eduardo Semilla, of the Argao Police Station, said Duran was checking test papers of his pupils when the gunman, wearing shorts, a blue shirt with a scarf and a cap, went inside the room and greeted the teacher ?good afternoon.?

Duran, who in his table while checking the test papers, asked what he could do for the man.

The gunman gave no reply, pulled out a handgun and shot the teacher at close range. He casually walked away after shooting the teacher toward several male companions in a red motorcycle parked outside the school.

Pupils who witnessed the murder cried and ran in panic.

Semilla said police have yet to determine a motive for the murder but quoted witnesses as saying the gunman had a tattoo of Spiderman in the neck and a tattoo of a cross in his leg. Duran had no known enemies, according to his fellow teachers. Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas

NUEVA ECIJA

Three med students die in fire

THREE medical students from Metro Manila were killed in a fire that gutted a community clinic in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, on Tuesday morning, police said.

Chief Insp. Peter Madria, Cabiao police chief, said Cecille Quintos, 25, Jen Morillos, 22, and Jessa Perez, 24, students of the St. Luke?s College of Medicine in Quezon City, were killed in the fire that broke out while they were sleeping on the second floor of the Cabiao Community Clinic at 2:45 a.m.

Another student, Miguel Ramos, escaped with minor injuries.

Madria said the four students were on community training in Cabiao.

Quintos, Morillos and Perez were found huddled in the clinic?s toilet. The clinic?s windows have iron grills but the building has a fire escape, Madria said. Anselmo Roque, Inquirer Central Luzon

SORSOGON

Boy hurt in reb attack

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy was injured when five suspected members of the New People?s Army attacked an Army squad on Tuesday in Barangay Bato in Bacon District, Sorsogon City, an Army official said Wednesday.

Soldiers were resting when the rebels attacked, said Maj. Harold Cabunoc, public information officer of the 9th Infantry Division based in Pili, Camarines Sur.

No soldier or rebel was reported hurt, but the clash injured Rodel Ebio, the three-year-old boy who was in the area when the rebels attacked. Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon