The Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Department of Education Lapu-Lapu City Division will sue seven individuals who padlocked the gate of a school in Barangay Pajac. 

A CCTV footage of Barangay Pajac showed seven persons involved in locking the main gate of Abuno Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. on November 1, 2024. 

The group of men claimed to be the heirs of an alleged owner of about one-hectare lot occupied by the school. 

A female security guard on duty was locked in on that day. But she was rescued in the afternoon on the same day by personnel from the Office of the City Mayor and Barangay Pajac. 

Juanita Cantila, the lady guard, narrated that the men told her they would have the gate locked. 

“Ako silang giingnan nga okay ra ko diri sa sulod. Ayaw ra mo kabalaka nako kay okay ra man ko diri sa sulod. Nya naa pod akong trabaho diri, di nako pwede biyaan kay on duty man ko aning time-ma,” Cantila said in a phone interview over GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak. 

After the incident, Cantila said she communicated with school principal Airene Godinez who in turn asked help from Mayor Junard Chan and Pajac Barangay Chairman Junjun Ompad to have the gate opened. 

Resumption of classes of over 2,000 students proceeded on Monday, November 4, 2024 after the long weekend. 

Abuno Elementary School has 1,319 pupils, while Abuno High School has 881 students. 

“At that time nga nakahibawo ko, kay ni-report man dayon siya, wala na ko nagproblema sa pag-abot nas mga bata, wala na may angay ikaalarma kay open na man gyud ang gate. Before 6 a.m. okay na, linaw ra man pud, nakasud ra sila [students],” Godinez said. 

The claimants put up a tarpaulin in October 2023 that announced of the private ownership of the said lot by the heirs of a certain Marciano Alegres.  

According to Atty. James Sayson, city attorney, it was only in September 2024 that the heirs sent formal communication on their claim and that he was able to talk and explain to one Noel Cosep, reportedly the leader of the group that padlocked the gate, on the position of the LGU.

He said it is somewhat perplexing that the group pursued their claim and resorted to locking the gate.

“Sa stand sa city, wala gyud sila’y right. Based on the documents nga atong gihuptan, ang syudad man sa Lapu-Lapu maoy tag-iya sa yuta, nya ang DepEd Lapu-Lapu maoy tag-iya sa building,” Atty. Sayson said.

Meanwhile, Atty. Maricar Runez, DepEd Lapu-Lapu City Division legal counsel, said they have documents to prove it was on June 1960 that one Fructuoso Fuentes, then president of the Parents and Teachers Association, purchased the lot from a certain Cornelia Alegres and that Fuentes executed a Deed of Donation on the lot to the local government. 

“Nag-execute si Fructuoso og Deed of Donation in favor of the City of Lapu-Lapu, [in] 1966, August, mao ni karon  basis sa atong giila nga tag-iya sa yuta kon asa gitukod ang Abuno Elementary ug Abuno High School kay mao gyud ang City Government of Lapu-Lapu,” Atty. Runez pointed out. 

The news team went to Cosep’s residence to seek his comment, but he was not around. None of the other heirs granted an interview.

Mayor Chan said that the heirs should have filed a case if they insist on their claims.

“It’s difficult for us nga bayran nato sila nga naa may dokumento nga gi-donate ang maong eskuylahan, makita nga naay resolution. Now kon mo-insist gyud sila nga pabayran, they go to court,” Mayor Chan said.