Pregnant teacher, baby killed in deadly Abra ambush; Gunmen still at large

Tayum, Abra – A 36-year-old teacher and her unborn child were killed after unidentified gunmen ambushed the motorcycle she was riding with her husband along the highway in Tayum, Abra, on the evening of May 8, 2026.

Police identified the victim as Maria Elaine Besas Valencia, a resident of Barangay Pawa, Langangilang, Abra. She was seven months pregnant with what would have been the couple’s fourth child.

Initial findings showed that Maria Elaine was riding as the back rider of her husband, Edgar Valencia, while they were heading to a bus terminal in Bangued at around 8:00 p.m. that day.

They were reportedly traveling together with the husband’s cousin and another companion when the incident occurred.

While passing through Barangay Bumagcat, armed men riding tandem on another motorcycle allegedly approached them from the left side and suddenly opened fire.

Due to the attack, Maria Elaine sustained gunshot wounds on the left side of her body. She was first rushed by emergency responders to a hospital in Bangued before being transferred to a medical facility in Bantay, Ilocos Sur.

Unfortunately, the attending physician later declared both her and her unborn child dead.

In an interview with Balitang Solid North, Edgar appealed for justice, saying they had done nothing wrong against anyone.

“Nasakit para kanyak ah, sir. Hustisya po, sir. Dimo ammo nu anya ti gapo na. Ada sumarsaruno kanya mi sir nga bigla na met lattan dakima pinaltopaltogan. Di nakapaltog dan sir, nagsiko dan diay duwa nga gunman en. Awan met ti kinar-karii mi, sir, sunga dakkel nga panpanunot ko nu apay kasjay ti inubra da kanyami,” Edgar expressed.

In a separate interview, Police Captain Cerel Gaspili, acting chief of police of the Tayum Municipal Police Station, said police recovered four empty shells from a caliber .45 firearm at the scene.

The police officer added that authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage and tracking the possible route taken by the suspects.

“Ongoing dagitoy backtracking mi ti CCTV along dagitoy nagdalanan da, sir. Ken dagitoy intel nga maala da nga information, kasla dagitoy background ti pamilya,” relayed Gaspili.