Family offers P100-K reward for capture of Masbate teacher’s killer

NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur, Philippines—The family of slain teacher Loida Pagatpat on Thursday offered a P100,000 reward to anyone who could identify her killers, police authorities in Masbate province said.

Pagatpat, 51, was shot dead while teaching a class at the Antipolo Elementary School in Palanas town, Masbate before noon on Feb. 3.

The gunman, armed with .45 cal. pistol, barged into the classroom and killed Pagatpat in front of horrified schoolchildren, who scampered away.

Immediately after killing Pagatpat, the gunman fled together with a lookout.

Senior Superintendent Heriberto Olitoquit, Masbate police chief and head of the task force investigating the murder, said in a phone interview on Thursday that the Masbate police have released an artist’s sketch of one of the suspected hired killers and were now evaluating information provided by witnesses.

Informants could send their information by sending a text message to 0919-3439789 or by calling 588-23-32, the two Masbate police hotlines, according to Olitoquit.

Olitoquit said they were looking into personal grudge as possible motive behind the killing of Pagatpat, a resident of Antipolo, Palanas.

“She was suspected to have connections with communist guerillas that allegedly killed a village official last year,” said Olitoquit, citing initial findings of the task force. But the motive, he said, has yet to be established, including the victim’s alleged connection with rebels.