Students urged to come back after so-called possessions

CEBU CITY -- Official of the Jaclupan National High School in Talisay City, Cebu decided to resume classes on Wednesday but only about 20 out of 700 students came to school.

Students and their parents remain apprehensive after several students reportedly showed signs of demonic possession last Monday and Tuesday.

Jaclupan National High School principal Maria Imelda Valde said they decided to resume classes after Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeek (not Kriekenbeck, as earlier reported), Cebu Archdiocese’s official exorcist, conducted a cleansing rite in the school.

The Talisay City Government also plans to send doctors to the school to assess the condition of the students who were reportedly possessed.

Valde told Sun.Star Cebu that school officials will try to persuade parents to let their children attend classes again.

She urged the parents not be afraid as Kriekenbeek had conducted the rite of deliverance in the school last Tuesday.

But parents remain apprehensive.

Nancy (not her real name), whose son was among those reportedly possessed, told reporters that she doubts if the spirits that plagued her child had left the school.

She added that she plans to transfer her son to another school.

Perly, whose daughter was also reportedly possessed by evil spirits, said her child will continue to go to school in Jaclupan. She said the incident had taught her to strengthen her faith in God.

“Kung kusug lang gyud ka ug pagtuo, dili gyud ka matarug (If your faith is strong, the devil will not get to you),” Perly told reporters on Tuesday.

The Talisay City Social Services Office, represented by social welfare officer Felipa Solana, visited the school Wednesday to meet with Valde.

Talisay City Councilor Semy Cabuenas, who chairs the committee on social welfare, accompanied the social workers.

Solana said they are planning to send doctors to the school to conduct stress debriefing on the students that were reportedly possessed.

She said the city has a pool of stress debriefers and another group from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Cabuenas said a doctor from the Talisay City Government will also visit the school to conduct physical checkups of the students.

Thirty-one students were reportedly possessed by evil spirits for two days in the said school. Students blamed the possessions on the cutting of trees in the campus to make way for the construction of a school building. (JKV of Sun.Star Cebu)