Teachers call for more protection vs. kidnappers in Mindanao

A group of teachers on Tuesday called on the government to provide more protection for their colleagues in Mindanao, following the abduction and beheading of a school principal in Sulu in recent weeks. Department of Education – National Employees Union (DepEd-NEU) President Domingo Alidon said in an interview that the beheading of Gabriel Canizares has struck fear among teachers across the country. “Natatakot at nababahala ang mga guro dahil sunud-sunod na ang kaso ng pangingidnap, at ngayon nga pinugutan pa ng ulo ang isa nilang kasamahan," he said. (Teachers are scared and worried due to a series of kidnapping cases, and now one of their colleagues is beheaded.) “In this regard, we are calling (on) the national government to make a move to stop this kidnapping and violence against teachers," he added. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus earlier condemned the gruesome killing of Canizares, whose severed head was recovered at a gas station in Sulu on Monday. [See: Abductors behead school principal in Sulu] According to Lapus, the incident not only sabotages the attainment of peace and progress in Mindanao, but also the delivery of educational services in southern Philippines. Alidon reiterated Lapus’ statements, saying that teachers have already started to refuse being assigned to areas in Mindanao because of fear of being abducted by bandits, which may be detrimental to the education of children in the area. “Kung pwede bigyan ng special attention ang talamak na pagdukot ng mga guro. Apektado dito ang public service, apektado ang edukasyon ng mga batang mag-aaral," he said. (If it is possible, give special attention to the rampant kidnapping of teachers. Public service is being affected, as well as the education of students there.) “We are calling on the president of the republic to focus on the Abu Sayyaf instead of focusing on raising funds for the 2010 presidential elections," he added. Canizares was reportedly abducted by 12 fully armed Abu Sayyaf bandits on October 20 while on board a public transport bound for Sulu with his co-teachers. [See: School principal abducted in Sulu] Prior to Canizares’ abduction, three more teachers were kidnapped by bandits in Zamboanga last January, while three others were abducted in Zamboanga Sibugay in March. The kidnapped teachers were released months later, after reportedly paying amounts for the bandits’ “board and lodging." – Andreo C. Calonzo, GMANews.TV