Slain Masbate teacher had child abuse raps — cops

Authorities are determining if the recent killing of a school teacher in Masbate — considered as the third extrajudicial killing under the Aquino administration as the victim was a member of a militant teachers' organization — was connected to his child abuse case. Senior Superintendent Eddie Benigay, Masbate provincial police director, said a background check on Mark Francisco showed that he was charged for allegedly maltreating a minor in October last year. It was not immediately known if Francisco's supposed victim was his student. "Hindi natin ma-consider na ito iyong pinakamalakas na angulo kasi this is raw information pa lang. Ide-develop natin ito then from then on, we will start siguro maka-jump off kung may magbigay ng testimony," Benigay said. (We can't consider this as our strongest angle yet because this is raw information. We still have to develop this.) Francisco, 27, a member of the militant Alliance of Concerned Teacher (ACT), was a teacher at the San Isidro Elementary School in Palanas town. He was gunned down by two suspects while on his way home last July 9. The woman that he was with at the time of the shooting was unharmed. "Ibig sabihin Mr. Francisco was singled out to be killed dahil hindi isinama yung isang witness (because his companion was left unharmed)," Benigay said. Police are still getting statements from the witness to be able to come up with an affidavit that would be used as evidence for the charges that would be filed against the perpetrators. A task force headed by Superintendent Jeffrey Fernandez has already been created to probe the killing. Other supposed victims of extrajudicial killings under the two-week-old presidency of Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III were Fernando Baldomero, 61, who was shot dead in Kalibo, Aklan last July 5, and Pascual Guevarra, 78, who was killed inside a military reservation area in Laur town, Nueva Ecija. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV