An official of the Department of Education conducted an investigation Saturday on the death of two teachers in Pontevedra town, Negros Occidental, and ordered the holding of more stress debriefing sessions.

Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Antonio Laguda, chief of staff of Education Secretary Armin Luistro, met with the families of Trinidad Elementary School head Jojit Gaudiel, 40, and Grade 5 teacher Harold Salas, 37, to see how the DepEd can assist them, Dr. Juliet Jeruta, provincial schools superintendent, said.

Salas killed Gaudiel, before shooting himself in the head, and the incident was witnessed by their co-teachers and pupils of the Trinidad Elementary School on January 20.

Laguda was directed by Luistro to investigate what happened, and see how the families of the dead, and the teachers and pupils of the school can be assisted.

He visited the Trinidad Elementary School community and met with the teachers, Jeruta said.

Parents of the pupils who witnessed the killings told Laguda that since the incident, their children have been urinating in their sleep and having nightmares.

Laguda directed the DepEd in Negros to conduct more debriefing sessions for the Trinidad Elementary School teachers and pupils to restore normalcy to their lives.

Initial debriefing sessions were also conducted last week.

Jeruta said they have tapped the help of University of St. La Salle guidance counselors for the debriefing sessions.

Today, a mass will held at the Trinidad Elementary School, followed by a blessing of its premises and classrooms.*CPG

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