Tombs become mute witnesses to high school students loitering inside the La Paz Catholic Cemetery in Iloilo City to make out.

Giger Poblacion, the cemetery caretaker, said he had caught in the act students who were into intimate contact.

“Ang iba kunwari magsisindi (ng kandila). Ngunit kapag may naka-uniporme hindi ko pinapapasok, pinapalabas ko kaagad,” Poblacion said.

GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas went inside the cemetery with the help of the caretaker to verify complaints of residents on students’ inappropriate activities inside the cemetery.

The news team chanced upon two students. The caretaker said he had already seen the two engaged in inappropriate activities.

The students were donning their Physical Education (P.E.) uniform and wearing the identification card of La Paz National High School.

The male Grade 8 student said they were just hanging out in the area, however the female student left hurriedly.

“Tumatambay lang kami, wala naman kaming ginagawang masama,” alias “Toto” said.

The cemetery is located in Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur, La Paz District.

According to barangay officials, the presence of students engaged in intimate contact has long been raised in a complaint. However, they only have two barangay tanods (watchmen) to conduct rovings.  

“Sinabihan ko na ang Board of Discipline ng La Paz National High School na huwag mag-concentrate lang sa loob ng paaralan dahil ang estudyante nyo kung minsan lumalabas,” Lopez Jaena Sur Barangay Chairman Johny Lego said.

Barangay officials admitted that dealing with the situation poses challenges. They pointed out that the responsibility of monitoring students is in the hands of parents, not theirs solely. 

According to the principal, they received information of students hanging out in the cemetery but this was already addressed by the Board of Discipline.  

“Meron talagang tumatambay kasi hindi natin ma-monitor ang kabataan. Ini-expect ng mga magulang na pumupunta sa school ngunit bawat isa sa kanila na may peers na sinasamahan,” Salvador Besares, principal of La Paz National High School, pointed out.

Besares said that the school will implement stringent measures to ensure that students would not stray again inside the cemetery and engage in inappropriate activities.

The school will conduct monitoring in the cemetery to pad students from engaging in activities detrimental to their studies, and ultimately destroy their future career plans.

The school will also coordinate with Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur and the police to assist in monitoring the presence of students inside the cemetery.