Teacher shot dead, another seriously wounded in separate attacks in Lanao Norte

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KOLAMBUGAN, Lanao del Norte, Philippines – A public school principal was killed while a teacher was critically injured in separate attacks in the province, the police said Thursday.

Senior Supt. Madid Paitao, Lanao del Norte police director, said the first attack took place around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, during which, 51-year Benny Akuram 51, the principal of Karomatan Elementary School in Kolambugan town, died.

He said Akuram was on his way to the school when an unidentified assailant shot him from behind with a .45 pistol.

“He was hit on the head and he died instantly,” Paitao said.

He said around 5:30 p.m. the same day, Joel Inoc, a school teacher of Bansarbel National High School in Kapatagan town was shot and was seriously wounded by a still unidentified assailant.

Paitao said Inoc was on his way home to Barangay (village) Butadon, also in Kapatagan, when he made a short stop in Barangay Da-o there.

He said the teacher was seen talking to his attacker before being shot.

“It appeared that he knew the suspect,” he said, adding that Inoc was comatose at an undisclosed hospital, as of Thursday.

Paitao said the police’s initial conclusion in the two cases was that these were not work-related attacks.

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