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The unanswered
questions about teacher’s killers
Graham Bayley: Man believed to have killed him in a robbery has been gunned down by Filippino police
The family of a man shot dead by a robber in the Philippines today told how they have unanswered questions about his killers.
Cherie Bayley spoke out after police caught up with, and shot dead, the main suspect in the murder of Preston man and former Chorley teacher Graham Bayley, 58.
Graham, who had visited a bar to meet a friend before his death, was brutally shot in the back, neck and jaw after being robbed.
His body was found on a main road in Cabanatuan City in the early hours of New Year’s Eve, 2011.
Mr Bayley, who taught in the Chorley area for around 30 years, had lived in Clayton Green, near Preston, before emigrating to Cabanatuan City since 2009, after taking early retirement.
He is survived by three children: Paul, now 15, Sarah, 13, and Maria, 10.
Suspect Hearns Valen Hizon, 24, was shot on July 20 when he and an accomplice were cornered by a six-man police team.
Instead of surrendering, Hizon, known as Palos – meaning slippery as an eel due to him evading police many times – opened fire, triggering a shootout, which led to his death from a single bullet wound in the head from a revolver.
Cherie, of Woodfield, Bamber Bridge, has mixed feelings about Hizon’s death, and says she has not been told what is happening regarding a second suspect in Graham’s death, who is still believed to be on the loose.
She said: “In one way I think he got what he deserved, but in another he has had the easy way out. He hasn’t had to go to court or serve a life sentence in prison.
“I would have liked to see him in prison for life. All my friends say he deserved it, but I wanted to see him, see what he looked like, and question him why.”
“ It’s really not what we expected to happen.
“We still don’t know if the police have closed the investigation. He was the main suspect, but there is still another one out there. I still have questions about it.
“I ring my parents in the Philippines to see if they can get more information, as it is difficult when we are over here.”
She added: “It gets hard at this time of year. In the run-up to Christmas is when we miss him most.”
Graham’s brother Peter, who lives in Stoke, said: “What goes around comes around.
“Apparently, this man had killed a Dutch man after Graham. I think the Dutch authorities must have put the pressure on to catch him.
“We had given up hope of them catching his killer. We certainly didn’t expect it in the way it happened.
“But to us it has brought closure, because I believe he deserved it. He chose to take that way out by evading the police.
“From what we’ve heard, he was not going to give up to the police, so they shot him through the head.”
The family learnt the news back in July through a letter from the Filipino authorities.
Peter also revealed Tim Blackman, the father of Lucie Blackman, the 21-year-old British woman murdered in Japan in 2000 where she worked in a hostess bar, had been in touch to offer support.
Graham grew up in Stoke.
After spending time travelling, he earned a teaching qualification at Newcastle University before getting a teaching job in Chorley.
He met Cherie in the Philippines.
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Weather for Preston
Sunday 19 May 2013
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Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
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