City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong met with barangay officials, watchmen and education officials on Tuesday, Oct. 18, to discuss measures to prevent the incident from happening again.
During the meeting, Chiong advised barangay officials to mobilize their tanods in schools to assist school watchmen hired by the City to ensure the students and teachers’ safety.
He also told school heads to use logbooks in recording individuals entering and exiting school premises.
Chiong also advised school officials to instruct their subordinates not to go to school beyond school hours unless necessary.
“I talked to them and reminded them that whoever goes inside the premises of the school, especially during weekends and unusual hours, to log their visit on the watchmen’s logbook,” the mayor said, in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He also urged school officials to require their teachers to secure approval from them if they wish to visit the school during weekends or holidays.
Chiong also reminded school watchmen to be vigilant if they encountered people who are not part of the school.
Each watchman receives an honorarium of P3,500 every month from the City Government. At least two watchmen are assigned in each public school in the city.
The mayor said he wanted to know why Gimena was able to enter the school even though it had a watchman on duty at that time.
Chiong said he would order for an investigation to find out where school watchmen assigned at CNICSTCA were during the incident.
Chiong said the work of school watchmen is important as they provide security and ensure peace and order inside school premises.
On Sunday, CNICSTCA teacher Jhun Leo Pañares was found dead by his fellow teachers inside the storage room of the school. Pañares was believed to have been stabbed several times before being robbed.
The suspect, Elmar Alvarez Gemida, who was arrested in a follow-up operation in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Monday, Oct. 17, claimed that he killed the victim in self-defense.
Gemida and Pañares were reportedly lovers before the murder took place.
Meanwhile, Chiong announced that the City will continue to implement its curfew ordinance for minors from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. despite the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. (ANV, BBT / TPT)