COTABATO CITY – A 24-year-old teacher in Lanao del Sur was fatally shot by an unidentified gunman on Monday morning, authorities confirmed.

According to a report from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Director Col. Caezar Cabuhat identified the victim as Danilo Barba, a committed educator at Balabagan Trade School.

Barba, originally from Trento, Agusan del Sur, was walking toward the school in Barangay Narra, Balabagan, when the assailant fired at him with a .45-caliber pistol at approximately 8 a.m. The victim succumbed to gunshot wounds to the head at the scene.

Bangsamoro Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal expressed deep regret over the incident, stating, "It is with deep sorrow that the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) condemns the tragic killing of Mr. Danilo Barba, a dedicated teacher of Balabagan Trade School in Lanao del Sur, who was mercilessly shot and killed on the morning of August 4, 2025."

Iqbal emphasized that violence against educators is both painful and intolerable, highlighting teachers as essential pillars of the community whose protection must be ensured at all times. He urged local law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators to deter similar attacks in the future.

Dr. Rubina Mimbantas Macabunar, Lanao del Sur II Schools Division Superintendent, also strongly denounced the killing, describing it as a "senseless and violent act that took away the life of an educator who committed himself to the service of our learners and the community." She called for a comprehensive investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable.

The case remains under investigation as authorities continue efforts to identify and arrest the gunman responsible for this tragic event.