Aftermath of shooting inside school, Classes suspended for five days; Traumatized teachers, pupils undergo stress debriefing

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  Classes have been suspended since Monday until tomorrow, Friday, in an elementary school in Negros Occidental after traumatized teachers and pupils witnessed the shooting to death of their school principal and the suicide of the teacher-gunman last Monday.

Jojit Gaudiel, 40, acting principal of the Trinidad Elementary School in Brgy. Don Salvador Benedicto in Pontevedra town, died to a gunshot wound in the head when he was shot by a teacher, Harold Salas, 37, inside the school campus. The bloodshed was witnessed by the teachers and pupils, police said.

Juliet Jeruta, schools division superintendent of the DepEd-Negros Occidental Division Office, said a stress debriefing session for the teachers was conducted by the DepEd's psychiatrist and two nurses on Tuesday.

The pupils, who also witnessed the incident, are undergoing stress debriefing, particularly pyscho-social  and emotional support, starting yesterday, until tomorrow, said Anthony Liobet, assistant schools division superintendent, adding that classes had to be suspended for five days because of this.

Jeruta said Education Secretary Armin Luistro called her to inquire about the incident, and to give instructions on how DepEd could help Gaudiel's family, and the teachers and pupils of Trinidad Elementary School.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, in reaction to the incident, have called for stricter gun control laws in the province to prevent similar incidents from happening again. It seems that, nowadays, almost anyone can own a gun, said the governor.

Lacson yesterday said, "It was sad. I wish it didn't happen that way." Obviously, there was a breach of security in that school, how can a person get into the school carrying firearms?, he said, adding that principals and teachers must have a constant dialog among themselves.

As far as the police are concerned, the case is deemed closed because the gunman also died. Senior Insp. Mary Rose Pico, chief of Pontevedra Police, said Tuesday she has submitted a final incident report to Sr. Supt. Milko Lirazan, acting director of the Negros Occidental Police.

Pico said investigation showed work-related stress and problems in school triggered Salas to snap from sanity. Some sources however said Salas had a problem with his love life, and a co-teacher was his rival in his relationship with another teacher, Michelle Gonzaga..

According to Bombo Radyo, Salas, a Grade 5 teacher, learned that Gaudiel was reportedly planning to transfer him to another school, purposely to separate the two teachers. Salas said he already separated from his wife, and was getting an annulment. Sources believed Salas had planned to kill the principal, the Bombo report said.

Two fully loaded home-made .38-caliber revolvers were found in Salas' possession after the crime, Pico said. They also found in Salas' pockets four empty shells and six dud bullets, which implied he had already practiced firing his guns before the incident, she said.

Salas shot Gaudiel while the latter was about to drive his motorcycle going to the district office for a meeting. Afterwards, Salas went to the classroom of another teacher, Ernie Espadero, to shoot him but he was not in the room. Salas then shot himself. Separate sources said Espadero was allegedly Salas' rival in courting Gonzaga. (FREEMAN)