(UPDATED) Police arrested the three suspects, including two teenagers, for the alleged killing of a 39-year-old public school teacher in Tacloban City on Friday, November 24, 2023.
They were apprehended on Saturday afternoon, November 25, after a witness came forward and identified them.
Authorities named the arrested suspects as alias Mokmik, 23; alias Kulot, 18; and another 18-year-old resident of Barangay Anibong, Tacloban.
A formal criminal complaint of robbery with homicide was already being prepared against suspects.
Authorities said the victim, Bernabe Basiano of Antonio Balmes National High School in Tacloban, was found lifeless with multiple stab wounds on his neck in an empty resettlement unit in Knightsbridge Village, Barangay Camansihay, Tacloban City on Friday afternoon.
The Department of Education (DepEd) in the region and the City condemned the killing of Basiano.
“This senseless act not only robs us of a valuable member of the teaching community but also shakes the very foundation of our commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our learners,” said Dr. Evelyn Fetalvero, DepEd-Eastern Visayas director.
“As we mourn the loss of a cherished educator, let us unite in seeking justice and ensuring that such reprehensible acts are met with the full force of the law,” added Dr. Judella Lumpas, Tacloban schools division superintendent. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)