Teacher slain in Cotabato gun attack

INQUIRER FILES

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – An Islamic teacher who also served as treasurer of one of the villages in the Bangsamoro’s Special Geographic Area (SGA) was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman on Wednesday, Dec. 19, in Pikit, Cotabato, police said.

Major Arvin John Cambang, Pikit municipal police chief, said Yasser Mama Abdullah, a part-time teacher who just passed the Licensure Exams for Teachers and who taught at the Noorul Eilm Academy Foundation Inc. was standing in front of the school’s annex building in Barangay Inug-og when two men riding in tandem on motorbikes arrived around 3:30 p.m. and opened fire.

“He was about to board his motorcycle heading for home when attacked by one of the two gunmen,” Cambang said.

“His relatives said he had no known enemies as he was a religious leader,” Cambang told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

READ: 2 students slain in ambush in Cotabato town

Abdullah sustained gunshot wounds in the head and was rushed to the Cruzado Medical Hospital but he died along the way.

Police found empty shells for 9mm pistol at the crime scene.

Aside from being an ustadz (teacher), Abdullah also served as the treasurer of Barangay Macabual, Tugunan town of the SGA of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Abdulla’s killing came barely 16 days after unidentified gunmen killed two senior high school students in the same school on Dec. 3.

Jess Ali, president of Parent Teachers Association at Noorul Eilm Academy, said students and teachers were shocked to learn of the attack against the teacher; especially as Abdullah just celebrated his passing of the licensure examination for teachers about five days ago.

The slain teacher was immediately buried Wednesday afternoon according to Islamic tradition.

“We are saddened by his untimely death,” Ali said.

“We just congratulated him for passing the LET when the results came out on Dec. 13, now we say condolences to the family,” a relative of the victim said.

On Dec. 3, unidentified gunmen shot dead two Grade 11 students on their way to school in Barangay Inug-og Pikit.

Lt. Warren James Caang, spokesperson of Cotabato police provincial office, said Muslimin Nanalong and Rafael Abu Indong, both 18 and senior high school students at the Noorul Eilm Academy Foundation Inc. in Barangay Inug-og, were on board a motorbike heading for school when attacked by two gunmen on separate motorbikes.

Cambang said probers had identified some persons of interest in the twin murder.