Public school teacher shot dead, school head wounded in North Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – Unidentified armed men shot dead a public school teacher in North Cotabato and wounded the school principal in a daylight ambush Monday.

Killed due to multiple gunshot wounds was Romy Valenzuela, 37, Grade 3 teacher of the Nes Elementary School in Barangay (village) Nes, Midsayap, North Cotabato.

School principal Farida Campaniel was wounded and was rushed by village officials and policemen to a hospital.

Supt. Noel Delos Santos, Midsayap police chief, said the victims were on board a tricycle heading home at about 11:45 a.m. following a meeting with fellow teachers in Barangay Nes when armed men, riding tandem on a motorbike, flagged down the vehicle and then opened fire.

The gunmen hurriedly fled riding motorcycles, leaving the bloodied victims behind.

Responding barangay officials and village watchmen tried but failed to catch up with the gunmen who fled in the direction of Datu Piang in Maguindanao.

Police investigators were still determining the motive and the identities of the killers, as of Monday afternoon.