Saturday, April 19, 2008 Jonas padlocks city college campus
MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes has padlocked the Mandaue City College (MCC) in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia, as its buildings will be turned over to the Mandaue City High School.
Yesterday, tension ran high when irate students and faculty members held a rally outside the school building and removed the barriers set up to prevent them from entering the campus.
They promised to file charges against Cortes, who assured that the MCC will not be closed.
He said he was just implementing the 1998 “deed of usufruct” entered into by former city mayor Thadeo Ouano and then Schools Division Superintendent Gloria Pinili.
The agreement declared the Mandaue City National Science High School (MCNSHS) as the rightful campus occupant.
One of its provisions stated “the free use and enjoyment of the land comprising the site of the Mandaue City National Science High School for an indefinite period of time for as long as they continue to operate.”
Witnesses in the agreement were former city councilors Wenceslao Gakit, Rosita Binabaye and Ibabao barangay captain Alfredo Ouano (not the former mayor).
When Cortes went to the school to officiate the formal turnover yesterday morning, around 50 students formed human barricades to block his way. The human barricades were promptly neutralized by policemen.
At 11 a.m., after Cortes and some city officials left, students tried to force their way through the barriers installed by the City’s Janitorial and Security Service Unit (Jassu).
This prompted Mandaue City Police Office Director Rodil Calungsod to send in the PNP Crowd Dispersal Management team to augment the policemen, led by Senior Insp. Sigfred Toribio.
Cortes said he just transferred all MCC’s operation and classes to the sports complex as the school campus’ rightful occupant must take over.
He said principal Rosario Casilagan told them that they were already being driven out of the lot the MCNSHS is occupying in Barangay Opao.
Casilagan had told him they had expected to use the MCC Ibabao-Estancia campus after they were invited to the capsule-laying ceremony to mark the start of the construction.
But the City Hall instead placed the MCNSHS in Opao.
“It’s not a question of unsay ilang gusto (what they want), it’s a question of unsay husto (what is right),” the mayor told reporters yesterday.
Last Thursday night, he had the school padlocked and secured by policemen.
Jassu personnel led by security chief Edmund Maboloc and barangay tanods were also sent to help bar students and faculty members from going in the next day.
Angered by the forcible opening of offices, especially that of Dr. Paulus Cañete, students stormed the barriers, said Dr. Elmar Ripalda.
He also that said a certain Danny punched J. R. Cacdac, one of Cañete’s staff, in the face during the confrontation that followed.
Ripalda, MCC Information Technology and Engineering department dean, said Cortes should have presented first a court order, a search warrant or prior notice to give them ample time to prepare.
However, Dr. Susana Cabahug, the college caretaker, said they had informed school officials of the turn over months back but they refused to accept the notices.
She said there was even an instance when those in Ibabao-Estancia campus threatened her messenger.
She mentioned that school officials also barred Commission on Higher Education officials, who were supposed to conduct an inspection, from entering the Ibabao-Estancia campus.
In a press statement, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) advised Cortes “to consider the greater welfare of his constituents.”
She asked him to prepare a relocation site for the MCC.
The congresswoman is willing to sit down, if requested, with the concerned parties to come up with a solution acceptable to all.
Two campuses
The conflict between Cortes and the college officials, whom then mayor Thadeo Ouano appointed, resulted to two MCC campuses simultaneously holding classes.
The “pro-mayor” campus is at the Mandaue City Sports Complex, with Cabahug as caretaker, while the “anti-mayor” campus, headed by Cañete, is in Ibabao-Estancia.
Sharing the Ibabao-Estancia campus is the Mandaue City Free Opportunity Livelihood Technology and Entrepreneurial Courses, a city-run vocational technical school managed by Flora Ouano.
Last April 1, Cortes sent a memorandum each to Cabahug and Flora Ouano informing them of the transfer of their agencies to the sports complex.
Though Cabahug does not hold office in Ibabao-Estancia, she was told to prepare.
Flora Ouano, for her part, was told to transfer to the CSCST campus near the Land Transportation Office in Barangay Looc.
Ripalda said the mayor should have called for a dialogue between the two opposing parties.
Accounting report
Cortes, in a separate interview, said attempts at an amicable settlement were repeatedly made but Cañete allegedly refused to listen.
He said then acting mayor Amadeo Seno Jr. had asked Cañete to give an accounting of the school’s finances but the latter refused.
Cañete, Cortes said, also refused to submit the same report to him until then Ombudsman Director Virginia Palanca-Santiago intervened.
Cañete attended the meeting called for by Santiago, but continued his refusal to cooperate with Cortes’ administration.
Ruiz asked Cortes to consider the welfare of the students.
“It (MCC) is an institution created by a city ordinance, which now serves a thousand Mandaue-hanon students; hence, the mayor should protect and preserve it regardless of his misunderstanding with its current school officials,” she said.
“And labing luoy aning tanan kagubot ang mga bata ug ang ilang ginikanan (This conflict is affecting the students and their parents),” she added.
Last January, Regional Trial Court Judge Marlyn Llagura-Yap ordered Cañete to follow the resolutions issued by the school’s board of trustees ordering him to stop
functioning as school president.
Cañete elevated the matter to the Court of Appeals, but Cortes said it does not stop him from doing his executive functions, which include managing the city’s projects and programs. (OCP)
