Teachers stop going to school in Iligan barangay for fear of kidnapping

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines—Teachers assigned to an elementary school in the outlying village of Limonsodan have stopped reporting for classes for fear of being kidnapped, an education official said Friday.

Roy Gazo, assistant division superintendent, told the Inquirer by phone that education officials agreed with the decision of the seven teachers because the kidnapping threats appeared to be real.

Officials could not say specifically where the threats came from but kidnap-for-ransom gangs and other criminal groups are known to operate in the area.

“We could not allow the teachers to go to the barangay at this time unless their safety was ensured,” Gazo said.

He said prior to the decision of the teachers to stop going to the village, some 100 students there had stopped going to school for about a month because of the same fears.

“They are helpless as even the military has no presence there because of the remoteness of the area,” Gazo said.

Gazo said Education officials had already dialogued with local, military and police officials to draw up a security plan for the teachers so that classes could finally resume in the area, which is populated by Higaonon tribesmen.