JEDDAH, 7 September 2003 — Efforts to find a peaceful solution to the leadership dispute at the troubled International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ) has collapsed and the competing factions have become more polarized than before.
On Friday, members of the original school board led by Efren Rodriguez, which was forcibly ousted last November, occupied the school in Gornatah district, prompting the rival group of Fidel Hernandez to respond by besieging the school compound.
The resulting chaos trapped participants of an accounting seminar organized by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants inside one of the school’s buildings. The harassed participants were later bused out. To add to the confusion, while acting principal Mohammad Isa Carlos de Leon declared a suspension of classes for Saturday, administrator Karima Maranda announced that it was business as usual. The result: Some teachers and students who came to class wasted the day doing nothing.
As gathered by Arab News, Rodriguez himself was not directly involved but the members of his board — Alex Macabanding, Linogaranao Mapandi and Ed Alcantara — brought about 40 supporters and “forced” their way into the school compound at around 3 p.m. Friday when only two guards are present.
The group reportedly claimed they were acting on a “verbal instruction’ from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, which agreed with the Saudi Ministry of Education that the Rodriguez board was the legitimate board.
Tensions rose when Hernandez brought in his own group and surrounded the compound. A drama of sorts began, followed by screams and counter-screams, and in no time empty bottles and stones flew.
The timely arrival of police patrols prevented the rival groups from hurting each other.
There were conflicting reports on who called the police but Mapandi and Alcantara ended up in a precinct for questioning while their followers were prevailed upon to leave. Macabanding stayed inside the school until 3 a.m.
Hernandez, chairman of the so-called Interim Board that dislodged the Rodriguez group last year, said the takeover attempt was a violation of the “Road Map to Peace” signed by 3 parties, the third being the Parent-Teachers Council (PTC) chaired by Usman Islao.
The agreement stated that the parties should refrain from taking control of the school to pave the way for an election of a new board on Sept. 10.
Some parents said what may have triggered the takeover was a statement from Islao saying that if no new board is elected by Sept. 10, the PTC would take over.
Some parents are blaming Vice Consul Jose Jacob for the latest incident at IPSJ for failing to carry out a direcive to reinstate the Rodriguez board. Jacob bowed to pressure and instead and brokered the signing of the “road map.” Other parents, however, said it’s time for Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla to intervene.
