Police have arrested a 20-year-old Grade 11 student accused of fatally shooting his teacher at Balabagan Trade School in Lanao del Sur after receiving a failing grade.
In an Inquirer.net report, Col. Caesar Cabuhat, provincial police director, confirmed that the suspect, identified only as “alias Kaizer,” surrendered to authorities through the help of his own brother, a police officer in the province. Cabuhat said the suspect admitted to the crime, citing personal resentment toward the victim.
Teacher Danilo Barba, 34, was shot on August 4 while entering the school campus in Barangay Narra, Balabagan. Witnesses, including other teachers and tricycle drivers, identified the gunman, who was reportedly alone and riding a motorcycle during the attack. A murder case was filed the next day.
Police have assured school officials that security measures will be in place, especially during enrollment, amid concerns from other teachers. Cabuhat clarified that the suspect claimed he bore no ill will toward anyone else except Barba.
The Schools Division Office of Lanao del Sur II and the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) condemned the killing. “We strongly condemn this senseless and violent act that took away the life of an educator who committed himself to the service of our learners and the community,” said Schools Division Superintendent Rubina Mimbantas Macabunar.
MBHTE Minister Mohager Iqbal called the attack “painful and unacceptable,” stressing that “teachers are pillars of our communities and their safety must be safeguarded at all times.” He added, “There is no place in our society for brutality, especially against those whose mission is to nurture and uplift the lives of others through education.
