‘Evil spirit possesses’ 17 students

ABOUT 17 students of a public national high school in Talisay City were reportedly possessed by an evil spirit yesterday morning.

Students of the Jaclupan National High School said a fellow student reportedly saw a dark figure looking at her while they were having their home economics class.

The figure reportedly asked her to go with him. It was then that she fainted.

The figure was also seen by other students during an all-night seminar during the weekend.

Some students said the alleged possessions reportedly started when school officials cut trees near the area where a classroom was constructed.

Officials of the Jaclupan National High School in Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City sought the help of a Catholic organization that specializes in exorcising evil spirits.

But the students’ parents said that while the group successfully drove the evil spirits from their children, they will not allow the students to return to school until the structure is blessed.

The incident reportedly started at 11 a.m. yesterday.

A fourth year student of the school said that while she and her classmates were having classes in a still-unfinished classroom, one of her classmates started screaming.

Dark figure

The student said her classmate reportedly saw a dark figure walking outside the classroom looking at her.

Six more students also reportedly showed signs of being possessed.

The teachers took the seven students, mostly girls, to the Mother of Perpetual Help Chaplaincy just across the school.

Vilma Sajor, secretary of Barangay Jaclupan, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday she was one of those who saw how the possessed students screamed.

She said the students were unusually strong.

“Dili gyud sila matabang, kailangan pa sila yak-an para mupuyo (It was impossible to
contain them),” said Sajor.

Fr. Nestor Atillo, who heads the chaplaincy, told reporters that after the seven students were brought to their chaplain, more students showing the same symptoms were brought to the chaplaincy.

Atillo told the parents and teachers to bring the students to the Mary’s Little Children Community in Barangay Tabunok to have them exorcised.

‘Infestation’

The healing ministry of Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeck worked on the students and told them to pray.

Selfa Hu, a member of Kriekenbeck’s team, told reporters yesterday the possession was caused by an “infestation” of a nature spirit.

She said one of the students reportedly levitated during the exorcism rites.

But Kriekenbeck said there was no possession. What took place was a result of emotional disturbance, anger and hatred on the part of the students.

Hu said they plan to return to the school tomorrow to bless it.

Maria Imelda Valde, school principal, said the incident happened after three bagalnga trees were cut down to make way for the construction of a school building.

It was the second time that it happened. The first one was last September, she said.

Bagalnga trees, or false dogwood or chinaberry trees, are indigenous trees that grow along the seashore and in low and medium altitudes.