TWO men allegedly barged into the quarantine facility housing the 35 students rescued after being stranded in the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao, Inc. (CTCSM) in Davao De Oro, Monday, May 19 but the Provincial Government assured that the students are safe and secure in the facility.
In a press statement, CTCSM integrated basic coordinator Ma. Cora Larobis said the students have reported that they were startled when two men entered their room at 7 p.m. using their own keys.
“The men said they purportedly went to check the bathroom if there was water supply. The bathroom was occupied then and they went out passing through the girls’ room. The students are worried if these two men had undergone regular disinfection because no medical personnel had stayed in the facility past 6:00 p.m.,” the statement reads.
Larobis said the incident has caused anxiety among the students who feared for their safety and health.
“These students were not able to sleep well that night because of the thought that strangers would barge into their rooms,” she said.
She said the students have complained of the poor facilities in the Nabunturan Fire Department dormitory where they are currently undergoing 14-day quarantine.
She said their complaints include the absence of padlocks in the front doors, lack of proper ventilation and water supply.
In a message to SunStar Davao, Davao de Oro Provincial Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy said the quarantine facility is safe and secured.
He said locking doors will prevent the house parents or the facility staff from checking on them especially in emergency cases.
“Doors need not be padlocked so our facility staff or house parent can check from time to time the status of the CTCSM students especially in emergency cases,” he said.
He said the people who entered the facility could be the facility staff.
“We only allow our facility staff to check, to go inside and out the building for order and maintenance of the area,” he said.
Uy admitted the problem with the water supply and that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is addressing it.
In a virtual presser early afternoon on Monday, he said the facility is also located inside the provincial capitol compound and there were assigned security personnel.
He added that a team of 10 frontliners composed of doctors and social workers was assigned to monitor the status of the students.
“Our doctors are thoroughly inspecting their status of health and from time to time naa gyud nagabantay sa ilaha, mga social workers nato (There are social workers checking on them from time to time),” he said.
Uy also belied allegations that the students were rescued in CTCSM with force.
In the press statement, Larobis said unidentified men and other members of the Provincial Inter-agency Task Force (PIATF) have intruded in dormitory buildings to bring those stranded students to their province on May 16.
“The remaining students in their compound felt afraid after the LGU’s intrusion into their dormitories to bring the 35 students to the quarantine facility,” she said.
“They were never harassed. They were never forced out katong mga bata pag transfer nato. We have all the documents, the pictures and video nga nag pamatood nga dili tinuod luyo sa mga nanggawas nga mga balita nga gi-harass daw nato (We have the photos and video to prove that we did not harass the students),” Uy said.