P’sinan school shooting: Students return to classes

LINGAYEN, Philippines – Classes resumed yesterday at the Pangasinan National High School (PNHS) where a police officer shot dead three teachers and a loan collector over alleged unpaid debts last week.

School principal Florante Tamondong urged students and teachers not to allow fear to overwhelm them.

“Let this experience unite us,” Tamondong said.

He said for the next two weeks, the students will undergo counseling for them to overcome their fear. The teachers have gone through a similar activity, Tamondong said.

PNHS has 205 and 25 teaching and non-teaching personnel, respectively, and 4,962 students.

Florante said he instructed their guards to tighten security. 

He denied reports that the gunman, Police Officer 3 Domino Alipio, escaped from the Lingayen police detention cell.

The school official said Alipio was transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Dagupan City.

Killed in last Monday’s incident were Florenda Flores, a teacher form the Labrador National High School in Labrador town; PNHS teachers Acidello Sison and Linda Sison, and Jonalito Urayan.

Flores was Alipio’s alleged agent in extending laons to the teachers while Urayan was a collector of the suspect.

Three others – teachers Ferdinand Entimano, Jovito Jimenez and Juliet Molano – were wounded in the incident.