A teacher couple survived the shooting while inside their classroom at Dalit Elementary School in Valencia City, Bukidnon, on Tuesday morning.
Teacher Zhydee Cabañelez sustained gunshot wounds in her right shoulder, leg, and foot. She is now recovering at the hospital.
Zhydee’s husband, Ramil Cabañelez, whose also the school’s headteacher did not acquire any injury from the shooting.
The teacher couple was in a multi-grade classroom with several students when the shooting happened.
“Nakapagtago ako sa mesa. Habang ang mga bata naman ay nagtakbuhan sa loob ng CR at sa ilalim ng kanilang upuan,” said Ramil.
(I took cover under the table. The students ran inside the CR and under their chairs.)
The armed man and three others quickly fled on two motorcycles.
The police suspected the shooters were members of the New People’s Army or NPA.
“Nagpakilala na namaril na tagabundok [The shooter said he was from the mountain]. We are narrowing down our investigation on the involvement of rebels in the area,” said P/Lt. Col. Surki Sereñas, chief of Valencia Police Station.
No student was injured in the shooting.
Despite this, the Department of Education will still conduct a psychological debriefing with children to alleviate the trauma they experienced when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, the group Karapatan condemned the attack on Zhaydee, who is an active member of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers.
“Karapatan strongly condemns this targeted attack against Cabañelez amid the worsening attacks against members of progressive organizations,” the group said.
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