MANILA, Philippines - The 22 grade school students apparently possessed by evil spirits that caused the suspension of classes at a Mandaluyong school on Wednesday were only "faking," a school official said.
"Wala naman po talagang ganoong pangyayari ... 'Yun po yung analysis nila, na 'yung ibang mga bata doon, parang sumasama lang sa agos na kapag umiyak yung isa, nag-iiyakan na din," Isaac Lopez Integrated School assistant principal Loida Matic said in a radio interview.
Matic explained that a teacher in the school threatened to give failing marks to other grades 7 and 8 students who would also act possessed.
Related story: School suspends classes as 'evil spirits' possess 20 students
"Kasi isa sa mga secondary teacher yung Science teacher, nang sinabihan niya yung mga estudyante niya 'O sige yung sasama doon, mag-iinarte, ibabagsak kong lahat.' Wala namang nangyari sa section na 'yon," Matic said.
She added that one of the possessed students, when told by the barangay captain that his money fell on the floor, temporarily stopped acting and picked up his money.
"Sinabihan din ng kapitana ang isa, iyong pera mo malalaglag na, nakuha naman ng bata, inilagay sa bulsa." she added.
The school administrator also said that the classes were disrupted because the students' parents rushed to the campus to check on their children.
"Sa mga magulang, papasukin nila ang mga anak kasi kung hindi magme-make up classes sila," Matic said.
Some students, however, recounted that a group started playing "spirit of the glass," a method of divination believed to call on spirits from another world, before they began collapsing one by one.
"Nung nag-recess po, hindi na nila natuloy, binitawan na nila yung baso, tumumba po yung baso. Tapos may sinaniban pong isa, naghawa-hawa na po, kumalat na po," a 14-year-old student identified only as Joy said in a radio interview.
Joy and another student "Poby" said that the "possessed" students acted "violent" and they were screaming with their eyes flushed red.
"Sinasabi po nila, 'Sinira n'yo yung kaharian ko! Sisisirain ko rin yung buhay n'yo ... Nangisay din po yung iba sa tabi namin," Poby said.
One of the students claimed that just before she lost consciousness, she saw a “tall and dark woman†walking outside their classroom.