GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – A 42-year-old public school teacher died in a grenade explosion early Thursday, June 15, amid a recurring problem of deadly violence in Pikit town, Cotabato. 

A series of violent attacks has resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, including those of residents, teachers, and students.

Pikit town police chief, Lieutenant Colonel John Calinga, identified the latest victim as Marichu Valle Cabañog, a teacher at the Balong Elementary School in Pikit.

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Police said the grenade went off inside Cabañog’s house in Barangay Ginatilan, Pikit, around 2 am, killing the public school teacher on the spot.

Crime scene investigators found a grenade safety lever inside Cabañog’s house, while the safety pin was discovered near a bedroom window.

Calinga said investigators were trying to get the statement of the teacher’s husband to find out if it was a deliberate attack or accidental. Shocked and grieving, the husband has yet to talk to authorities.

Since 2021, gun attacks have been recorded in the town, resulting in the deaths and injuries of students and teachers.

The grenade explosion followed a May 26 ambush that killed 37-year-old Joel Reformado, the headteacher of Damalasak Elementary School in Pikit, while he was on his way to another public school for an inter-school activity.

His companion, 36-year-old Elton John Lapinid, was seriously hurt in the gun attack carried out by still unidentified men.

In February, the town government ordered the suspension of classes at all levels following the killing of a 13-year-old student and the wounding of two others as a result of a gun attack near their school. Another minor was fatally shot days later, followed by another killing on the same day.

Education officials in Cotabato province said the continuous violence in the town puts the lives of teachers and students at constant risk. They have called on the police and military to ensure the safety and security of teachers and students. 

Cotabato schools division superintendent, Romelito Flores, said the problem seriously jeopardizes the education of the town’s youth.

In response, the military started providing security escorts for teachers during their commute to and from their schools. – Rappler.com