COTABATO CITY – A 24-year-old teacher in Lanao del Sur was shot dead by an unidentified gunman on Monday morning, police reported.
In his report to the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Director Police Col. Caezar Cabuhat identified the victim as Danilo Barba, a dedicated teacher at Balabagan Trade School.
The victim, a native of Trento, Agusan del Sur, was walking towards the school in Barangay Narra, Balabagan, when a lone gunman shot him at about 8 a.m. Barba died on the spot from bullet wounds to the head.
Bangsamoro education Minister Mohagher Iqbal condemned the killing.
“It is with deep sorrow that the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) condemns the tragic killing of Mr. Danilo Barba, a dedicated teacher of Balabagan Trade School in Lanao del Sur, who was mercilessly shot and killed on the morning of Aug. 4, 2025,” Iqbal said in a statement.
Iqbal said the act of violence against an educator is "both painful and unacceptable."
He said teachers are pillars of the community and their safety must be safeguarded at all times.
Iqbal urged the police to bring the perpetrators behind bars to prevent similar attacks on educators in the future.
Dr. Rubina Mimbantas Macabunar, Lanao del Sur II Schools Division superintendent, also condemned the attack.
“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,” Macabunar said in a statement.
She called for a thorough investigation and for all those responsible to be held accountable. (PNA)