DepEd condemns shooting of Negros Occidental teacher

MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Monday it deplores the shooting of a teacher from Himamaylan National High School in Negros Occidental, who was supposed to serve in the polls.

In a statement, DepEd said it "strongly condemns" the incident as it does not condone any acts of violence and injustice towards educators.

It urged local authorities to bring the perpetuators to justice. "We call on the local authorities in Negros Occidental to deliver swift justice for such heinous crime against our dearly departed colleague. Likewise, we reiterate our call to our partner agencies, especially the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to protect our teachers, poll workers, and voters," DepEd said.

It is not clear yet on whether the shooting is linked to the elections, but the department is working with field offices and local officials to investigate the incident.

DepEd also said that Secretary Leonor Briones has instructed their finance unit to provide financial aid and other means of assistance to the teacher and her family. —

Miguel De Guzman Members of the Manila Police District led by district director Leo Francisco conduct random inspections on motorists passing through a Comelec Checkpoint along Roxas Boulevard at the boundary of Manila and Pasay City on January 9, 2022.