Healing seminar offered for ‘possessed’ students

CEBU, Philippines - A healing seminar has been suggested for the community of Toong Integrated School where demonic possessions on at least 14 students have been reported.

Medical intervention, through Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Behavio-ral Sciences Department, was likewise offered to children reportedly possessed by evil spirits.

Reverend Nicolas Ramos, a resident deacon in nearby Mary Help of Christians Parish in Buhisan, Cebu City where Toong belongs, said they told school officials they are willing to facilitate a spiritual session to address the reported possession that led to mass hysteria.

“We presented the suggestion to the principal. As of now, there has been no feedback yet. But we can help them provide healing and spiritual enlightening session,” Ramos told reporters yesterday.

For his part, psychiatrist Dr. Rene Obra, who heads VSMMC Behavioral Sciences Department, said their institution is willing to lend assistance and medical treatment sessions to affected children.

“Our doors are open. We are very much willing to help them. We at VSMMC are just waiting for them to voluntarily bring the students to us for psychiatric treatment. Pero kay mao lagi, there is a notion and stigma nga ang mga dad-on dinhi mga boang, maong di ta kapugos nila. But we are just waiting and willing to coordinate.  Ang ato man ang holistic nga approach ani nga panghitabo,” Dr. Obra told The FREEMAN.  While he did not rule out spiritual or paranormal attributions, Obra said their intervention might possibly help affected individuals.

Mass hysteria, Obra explained, is attributed to stress and anxiety of more than one person at the same time, which is caused by both external and internal factors.

“In this case, there is pre-sence of discomfort. There is what we call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that the person affected tends go beyond normal human experience and display unusual behavior,” Obra continued.

With Toong, the psychia-trist suspected that one of the students could have been under severe stress and manifested what doctors called PTSD, sparking a mass panic attack.

“One of these (affected) children might be under stress. Labi na kung influential or someone known in the school like president sa group or association, others tend to be affected and will also develop anxiety. Mura’g domino effect ba,” he said.

Reverend Ramos, who first prayed over the children, believed not all 30 students who went hysterical were possessed as some were merely having breakdown due to panic.

“Base sa akong interaction sa mga bata, dili tanan possessed. Dunay uban nga mo-react gyud kung bisbisan og Holy Water ug pahiran og Holy Salt. Duna say wala lang. Ang katong mo-react most  likely mao to ang possessed dayon ang dili mao to ang natakdan lang sa karatol,” said Ramos.

Reverend Ramos said he prioritized sending the 14 to Mary’s Little Children Community in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City where exorcist and deliverance prayer expert Monsignor Fred Kriekenbeek is based.

“Kung dunay mga ingon ani nga sitwasyon, mas maayo nga ibuwag ang mga possessed aron dili magtinakuray. Kinahanglang lagyo sila aron tagsa-tagsa sila nga ampuan ug beditahan. Aron di mag takod-takod,” he said.

Ramos used to be a seminarian at Kriekenbeek’s religious community before becoming a diocesan deacon.

“Mga more or less 12 years sad ko didto kang Monsignor (Fred) Kriekenbeek. Then migawas ko ug mipahuway before ko nag-diocesan. Mao sigurong ako maoy gipadala sa among kura paruko nganhi sa Buhisan kay duna man sad tay ginagmayng kasinatian aning mga butanga. Tungod sa kadaghan, mi-decide na ko nga ipadala na sa Talisay ang kadtong mga possessed. Akong giampuan ang katong uban nga natakdan lang maong nag-mass hysteria,” he said.

Buhisan parish priest Reverend Fr. Lucas Inoc directed Ramos to respond to Toong incident considering his background.

But it was Inoc who led the Holy Mass inside the school yesterday which preceded the short debriefing and orientation on mass hysteria done by Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chairman and Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.

“I made them do little physical activities para ma-loosen up ilang tension and stress. Para mahuwasan lang sila human sa nahitabo,” Tumulak said.

It was learned that the school conducted an overnight camping activity last Friday and the supposed possessions happened this week.

“Duna nay nahitabo sauna nga possession the same school. Pero ginagmay ra to. Nakaadto na pud ko ana before. Kining karon ang daghan gyud kaayo. After na ni atong nag-overnight sila sa eskwelahan. Kahibaw baya ka aning mga bata kung magkatapok, masaba gyud. Basin og nakadisturbo sila didto,” Ramos said.

This was seconded by a female sari-sari store owner who preferred anonymity.

“Perte ana nilang langasa atong nag-overnight camping na sila. Nag dula-dula. Ana. Nasuko siguro nang mga nagpuyo dinha maong nahitabo ni. Dili man unta ko motuo ana sauna pero kung dinhi lang ka pagkahitabo atong nagdungan silang tanan, makatuo gyud ka uy. Gidagan gud nako akong anak nga nag-eskwela pud diha kay nagkaguliyang na man… hinilakay, syinagitay na ang mga bata. Maratol sad kag apil uy,” she said.

School officials and students were not keen on answering media queries as teachers told reporters they were ordered by their principal not to open up about the incident, except for one student who claimed she was one of the possessed students brought to Msgr. Kriekenbeek.

When The FREEMAN visited Toong Integrated School, students were wearing rosaries around their neck while inside the campus.

Toong Councilor Milven Bacalso said they brought one student back to Msgr. Kriekenbeek yesterday because the child accordingly went uneasy anew.

A statement from Department of Education Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Rhea Mar Angtud was sought to no avail. — Jessa J. Agua/JMD (FREEMAN)