CEBU, Philippines - Grade 6 pupils of an elementary school in Argao had a day in school that will probably leave a long-lasting effect.
This as their 52-year-old teacher was killed in front of shocked pupils by a lone gunman inside his classroom at the Binlod Elementary School in barangay Poblacion Binlod, Argao town around 3:40 in the afternoon yesterday.
Romeo Aguire Duran, single, a resident of barangay Binlod of said town and a native of Negros was hit on his left cheek.
From the initial investigation of the Argao police, it was learned that the victim was sitting in front of his students and checking test papers when the attack took place.
The gunman was described to be wearing shorts, a blue t-shirt, an orange cap and had his face covered by a scarf.
SPO1 Arnold Abenir, investigator of Argao police station, said that the gunman even greeted the teacher good afternoon before firing.
“Nisulod ning suspetsado unya ni good afternoon pa ni siya ug gitubag siya sa maestro nga unsa’y tuyo dayun pusil na dayun,” Abenir said.
The victim was shot once at close range.
The bullet entered through the victim’s left cheek and was lodged inside this head.
Witnesses said that the gunman ran towards three waiting companions, who were on board a Honda XRM motorcycle.
Authorities said that they did not recover any shell from the crime scene, which led them to believe that the gunman used a revolver.
Pupils of Duran described the gun used to be a short one.
Duran’s body was brought to the Carcar City Funeral Parlor for post mortem examination.
Abenir said that Binlod elementary school does not have security guards and people can just enter the gate whenever they want.
The police investigator described Duran as a homosexual.
Police are looking at various angles including the possibility of a relationship that went sour.
Duran had no police record.
“Wa mani siya’y record dire sa amo sir. Wa sad mi kadawat ug reklamo nga manapat ni ang maestro,” a colleague of the victim said.
Sr. Supt. Erson Digal, director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that they now have one witness in their custody.
He has also instructed the Argao police to intensify their checkpoints.
“Duna man tay witness gikuptan nga nakaila sa mga suspetsado. Pero ang land dispute among gitan-aw nga motive,” Digal said.
He received information that last month, the victim had an argument with his brother named Manuel Duran.
Manuel Duran is now in Manila while his two sisters are now in Negros.
However, more angles had come-up in their investigation.
Duran had worked at Binlod Elementary School for three years after his transfer from Mabasa Elementary School, which is 12 kilometers away.
Clara Gomez, former principal of Binlod elementary school who just retired last month, said that she was shocked when he heard the news about Duran.
She described Duran as good and she had not received any complaint against the teacher.
She added that Duran was the adviser of grade six section 2 teaching various subjects.
However, Gomez in an interview over dySS Super Radyo, said that she did notice a lot of people looking for Duran when she was still the school principal.
“Daghan man sad na siya’g utang sir gud. Daghan man ang maningil ana niya diri sa eskwelahan. Naa pa gani siya’y utang sa syudad kanang YY,” Gomez said.—/NLQ (FREEMAN NEWS)