CEBU, Philippines – Liberal Party standard bearer and Lapu-Lapu City mayoralty candidate Efrain Pelaez Jr. was refused entry into the sports complex in barangay Punta Engaño where the graduation ceremonies of Punta Engaño elementary and high school were about to start yesterday morning.
Pelaez, the president of the Coralpoint Education Foundation Inc. (CEFI), has been giving scholarships to Punta Engaño elementary and high school valedictorians and salutatorians for the past 16 years.
At around 9:00 in the morning before the commencement exercises started, Pelaez was about to enter the Punta Engaño Sports Complex when tanods of the barangay stopped him from entering on the alleged instruction of barangay captain Lourdes Ibay.
Pelaez said he will attend the ceremony because he was invited by the class valedictorian and salutatorian Stephen Clint Canamo and Giar Eyas, respectively, who are recipients of CEFI scholarships.
At least 15 former CEFI scholars picketed outside the complex accusing school administrators and barangay officials for bringing in politics in the ceremony.
A few minutes later, some members of the media arrived, the only time Pelaez was allowed to enter the complex.
But ABS-CBN and GMA-7 cameramen were not allowed inside for the reason that the ceremony was private.
Pelaez, upon entering the complex, was not allowed to go up the stage to turn over the scholarships to Canamo and Eyas.
He however did not insist on going up but instead handed the scholarships to Canamo and Eyas before the two went up the stage to receive their respective awards and commendations from the school.
Pelaez did not wait for the ceremonies to end.
16 CEFI scholars in a press statement expressed their disappointment over the state of politics in Lapu-Lapu City especially in Punta Engaño High School.
"We, the CEFI scholars, are grateful to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Efrain Pelaez for the opportunity to send us to college for free," the former scholars of CEFI said.
Punta Engaño principal Mary Ann Ogdoc, in an interview with reporters after the rites, said they had no intention to turn the ceremony into a political circus and be used by candidates like Pelaez for political interest.
Ogdoc showed to reporters a copy of Department of Education Order No. 28 series of 2010, which states that "graduation rites shall be conducted in an appropriate solemn ceremony" and shall not be used as a venue for any political activity.
It also states that if the school administrators invite guests during the graduation rites, the "candidates are advised to observe and maintain the solemnity of graduation rites."
If candidates are to go up the stage, the DepEd order states that "they must be informed not to make any statement, partisan or non-partisan, relative to the forthcoming May election.
Punta Engaño barangay captain Ibay, on the other hand, said she really instructed her tanods not to allow Pelaez and members of the media to enter the complex to keep the ceremony from any controversy.
"Wala man mi question of giving scholarships to the students pero milansad man gud siya basin unya ma-politicize ang graduation ceremony sa mga bata," Ibay told the reporters.
But CEFI scholars rejected the allegations the officials have made.
“This is not true since Pelaez has been doing this for many years," they said.
In the past, many schools usually invited political figures to speak at graduation rites.
During election time, these politicians take the opportunity to campaign before a captured audience, comprising of parents and guests of the graduating students. (THE FREEMAN)