Monday, July 28, 2008 Spirits possess Tublay students By Jane Cadalig
THE serenity of the little town of Tublay, Benguet was broken when 30 students started fainting one after another on what locals believe to have been caused by vengeful spirits.
Two of 21 female students of the Tublay School of Home Industries even became hysterical after their harrowing experience with the unknown Friday, July 25.
The town's council session was suspended as officials had to attend to the students.
Councilor Ericson Felipe said the Municipal Council had to suspend its session after receiving the report.
On Felipe's account, the incident first happened in the morning when only two students fainted.
But the spell continued after lunch when several female students from different year levels begun losing consciousness for no apparent reason. The incident lasted up to 3 p.m. the same day.
School authorities called the help of the police and municipal officials and the town's parish priest.
Felipe, who personally witnessed the event, said there has been no definite reason as to why the fainting occurred.
"The students passed out and remained unconscious for about 10 to 20 minutes. Two of became hysterical," he said.
In the blotter entry of the municipal police, it was alleged the students were possessed by evil spirits. The blotter said those who fainted numbered to about 30 students.
Felipe said local beliefs point to the demolition of an old school as being at the root of the entire hullabaloo.
It is believed in the locality that spirits and other elementals used to live in the building, which had to give way for the construction of new structure for the school. The new school building cost P4 million.
He said the situation even created a commotion between those who responded, including the town's parish priest.
Felipe said some of those who came to see to the needs of the school children, including former Mayor Willie Velasco, suggested the holding of a ritual to appease the spirits.
But Felipe said Reverend Benny Villapa, parish priest of the Immaculate Concepcion Church in Tublay, did not agree with the pagan ritual, saying the school "should not give in to the desires of the unseen."
"We were advised by father Villapa to bring those who fainted to a room and allow them to rest, except those who became hysterical because they might hurt themselves or others," Felipe added.
Some of the students were rushed to the school's clinic and were advised to go home after they regained consciousness.
"They were wondering what happened to them when they gained their consciousness," he said.
Sun.Star Baguio visited the town's parish to seek an explanation from Villapa but was told he was in another village to conduct mass. Calls to him also proved futile.
According to Felipe, the parish priest described the situation as mere mass hypnosis, which supposedly also occurred in the towns of Kibungan and Bakun, also in Benguet.
An alleged student's "possession" also happened to high school students in Tuba last year.
Felipe said a mass would be held at the school on Monday. A ritual is also being planned with the help of a native priest called mambunong.
