Pangasinan high school shooting deaths reach 4

By Jojo Riñoza, Liezel BasaIñigo and Eva Visperas

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Police filed four counts of murder and three counts of frustrated murder against a policeman for killing three teachers and a loan collector and wounding three other teachers in a shooting rampage at the Pangasinan National High School (PNHS) here at around 4 p.m. on Monday. 

The complaints were filed against Police Officer 3 Domino Alipio, a resident of Calasiao town and assigned at Anda police station, said Supt.Reynante Panay, Lingayen police chief. 

Alipio shot dead Florenda Flores, teacher at Labrador National High School, a resident of Libsong West, Lingayen; AcidelloSison, teacher at the PNHS and a resident of Barangay Maniboc;  Jonalito Urayan of Barangay Gabon in Calasiao town, and Linda Sison, teacher of PNHS.

Authorities blamed the teachers’ unpaid loans for the shooting.

Flores was reportedly an agent of Alipio in extending loans to the teachers while Urayan was a collector. 

The wounded – Ferdinand Entimano, Jovito Jimenez and Juliet Molano, who are all teachers of PNHS – are still confined at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, Trauma Hospital in Dagupan City, and Lingayen Community Hospital, respectively.

Senior Supt. Reynaldo Biay, officer-in-charge police director of Pangasinan, assured the victims’ families that justice will be served. 

He also told Alma Ruby Torio, schools division superintendent of Pangasinan, during a dialogue Tuesday afternoon that the police will provide security to the school and the division office following the incident.

He said six policemen, or two for each shift, will be deployed at the PNHS. 

The question of what drove the cop to do the crime may lie with his “superiors” in the Philippine National Police.

PO3 Alipio,  admitted he could be liable to his “superiors” whom he borrowed the money from and lent to the teachers.

Armed with a Cal.45 pistol, a carbine rifle and a hand grenade, Alipio gunned down three teachers and his own collector in a school rampage blamed on a money-lending business gone sour at PNHS where about 39 teachers and employees owed the suspect large sums of money.

Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has ordered a two-day suspension of classes at the school to allow the faculty and students to recover from the trauma of the shooting incident.

From initial reports, Alipio had been having problems collecting on loans he had extended to PNHS teachers and employees and was growing desperate over his inability to recover investments in his business.

“Paano naman ako, sir? Kung hindi ako makakasingil, eh di ako naman ang yayariin! Yung kinakapital ko dito ay pera ng mga higher ups ko (What will happen to me, sir? If I cannot collect, then I will be in trouble. The capital I used came from my superiors),” Alipio had allegedly told PNHS principal Florante Tamondong just days before the shooting.

Tamondong said that one of the slain teachers, Linda Sison, had racked up debts of more than P200,000.

The school official added that teachers and employees who had bad loans with Alipio have been receiving death threats for weeks before the shooting incident, prompting them to report these to the Lingayen police.

Apparently driven to desperation, Alipio confronted Flores, his alleged middleman with his PNHS debtors, and Urayan, who was his own collector, around 4 p.m. Monday inside one of the classrooms about the status of collections at the school.

“There were allegations that his own people – Flores and Urayan – were conniving against him,” said Supt. Reynate Panay, Lingayen police chief.

Then suddenly, in a fit of rage, Alipio drew his Cal.45 pistol and gunned down Flores and Urayan.

Urayan apparently bore the brunt of his boss’ anger as Alipio riddled him with 15 bullet wounds while Flores was shot twice.

Alipio then headed to a nearby classroom, turned his ire on a group of teachers having an after-class meeting and went on a shooting spree that killed Acidello Sison on-the-spot and left Linda Sison mortally wounded.

He also shot and wounded the four other PNHS teachers in that room.

Responding police collared Alipio inside one of the school buildings after a brief exchange of gunfire.

Also arrested was Oliver Ganigan, reportedly Alipio’s driver.

Lingayen police chief Supt. Reynante Panay said Alipio, along with his driver Oliver Ganigan and Urayan, went to the PNHS to collect payments from several teachers.

Panay said the suspect was furious when Flores failed to pay.

Alipio reportedly shot Flores and Urayan before killing the Sisons.

Responding policemen arrested Alipio and Ganigan after the incident. 

The Pangasinan police condemned Alipio’s acts.  Senior Insp. Diomedes Bonales, Anda police chief, said Alipio was off-duty at the time of the incident.

Bonales said Alipio was assigned as patroller and liaison officer at the police station last April.