Tawi-Tawi education exec slain, probe on despite gunman’s death

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Police are still clueless on the motive in Tuesday’s killing of the second highest Department of Education (DepEd) official in Tawi-Tawi, who was shot before her son in a busy spot in the capital town of Bongao.

The victim, Nihma Lakian Undah, assistant schools division superintendent of Tawi-Tawi, and her son were alighting from a tricycle at the entrance of the DepEd provincial office in Bongao when the gunman casually approached and shot her.

Undah’s son was wounded in the shooting frenzy and was rushed to a hospital by responding policemen and barangay officials.

Jamar Kulayan, regional education secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said the gunman was later killed in a shootout with pursuing policemen.

“I regret it ended that way. Having the suspect alive would have provided the police the chance to obtain information from him on the motive behind the crime,” he said.

Kulayan said he is apprehensive that the gunman’s death would also put “undue closure” to Undah’s killing.

But he said the investigation “must not end there.”

Kulayan said ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman has ordered Chief Superintendent Noel de los Reyes, regional police director, to personally oversee the investigation.

Hataman, as chairman of the inter-agency ARMM peace and order council, exercises ministerial control over the regional police.

“Neutralizing the criminal does not necessarily eliminate crimes. There is no substitute to justice and rule of law. I hope the investigation will still continue even after the culprit had been neutralized,” Kulayan said.

Undah was known among co-workers as a hardworking education official, who had good plans for the youth sector in Tawi-Tawi.

Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali, a member of the provincial peace and order council, also called for an extensive probe on Undah’s killing.

Sahali condemned the incident, describing it as an affront to the academic sector in the island province. – With Roel Pareño