AKLAN – A 52-year-old college teacher died two days after he was allegedly assaulted by a 19-year-old man following a heated argument during a gathering in New Washington, Aklan.
The victim, a faculty member of Aklan Polytechnic College, died on July 28 while undergoing treatment at Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan in Kalibo after sustaining serious injuries in the incident that occurred on July 26 in Barangay Mabilo.
According to the Aklan Police Provincial Office (PPO), the victim and the suspect were both guests at a social gathering when they figured in a heated argument. Police said they were not personally acquainted and that the altercation was unrelated to the victim’s profession as a teacher.
Aklan PPO Public Information Office chief PMaj. Aubrey Ayon said the venue owner intervened to pacify the situation and assisted the teacher in leaving the gathering.
However, police said that as the victim was about to leave on board his motorcycle, the suspect allegedly followed him and repeatedly punched him, causing him to fall from the vehicle.
The victim was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. He later succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Authorities said the teacher sustained a head injury, which investigators are examining as among the possible factors that led to his death. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
The 19-year-old suspect was immediately arrested after the incident.
Police are also investigating whether alcohol consumption contributed to the altercation.
Initially, authorities were preparing to file a frustrated homicide complaint against the suspect. Following the victim’s death, the charges are expected to be upgraded pending the results of the investigation and autopsy.
Ayon stressed that the attack did not occur inside a school and was not connected to the victim’s work as an educator.
She added that the Aklan PPO remains committed to protecting teachers and encouraged education workers to report threats or security concerns to the police.
Earlier, Philippine National Police chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police to conduct a thorough investigation into the separate attacks on teachers in Aklan and Davao de Oro.
Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) expressed alarm over the incident, saying it comes amid what it described as a disturbing rise in violence involving students, teachers, and education workers both inside and outside school premises.
The group urged the government to strengthen safety measures in schools and communities and to implement reforms aimed at addressing violence and ensuring accountability./PN
