THE Agdao Multipurpose Cooperative, Obrero Branch, (Agdao Coop) was stormed by hundreds of disgruntled members led by former employees on the evening of Saturday, March 29, 2025.
According to Bajada police, the group led by Ronnie Sobridella, was armed with axes and carpentry tools. They demanded the resignation of the cooperative’s manager and board members, accusing them of misappropriating funds and failing to return money owed to them.
Bajada Police Station commander Police Major Marc Anthony Egos said in a media interview with SunStar Davao the protesters forcibly entered the cooperative building, damaging several doors to pressure the board and management into stepping down. They claimed that the board had not refunded the money as promised.
Egos, later joined by National Bureau of Investigation-Southeastern Mindanao (NBI-Semro) Director Archie Albao, intervened and facilitated discussions between the protesting group and the cooperative’s representatives, including the legal counsel, lawyer Gibb Andrew Cabahug.
Egos added that during the negotiations, the cooperative presented a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals on December 17, 2024, along with a petition for a preliminary injunction.
After several hours of dialogue, the protesters left the building early in the morning on Sunday, March 30. Both parties are now expected to present their respective legal arguments before the court.
“Peaceful naman ang negotiations namo ilabina human nga nagpresenta og TRO ang taga-coop. Sa pagkakaron, magpasaka og kaso ang duha ka mga parties involved (The negotiations have been peaceful, especially after the coop representatives presented a TRO. As of now, both parties involved are planning to file a case),” he said.
The cooperative clarified that the protesters were former employees who had been terminated for being absent without leave (Awol).
“We regret to inform you that on the night of March 29, 2025, at approximately 9 p.m., certain members, led by Awol and terminated employees, forcibly entered the Agdao Coop Head Office. Unfortunately, this incident resulted in some damage to our property,” the cooperative’s statement said.
The cooperative also emphasized that an ongoing case is being heard at the Court of Appeals, which recognizes the current management and board members through a Writ of Preliminary Injunction.
The statement called on members to respect the law and remain calm, emphasizing, “Ultimately, we all share the same goal — the welfare and prosperity of our cooperative.”
According to a source familiar with the situation who refused to be identified as not having the authority to talk on behalf of the coop, these individuals acted in defiance of a retaining status order issued by the court.
The court order was in place to maintain the status quo until a formal decision could be made. However, the former employees, seemingly tired of waiting for the court’s decision, forcibly entered the premises. DEF