Round 2: Broce vs. Ledesma battle over CNC
Ledesmas
re-occupy CNC
August 17, Friday-By
virtue of the Writ of Preliminary Mandatory Injunction, Ma. Socorro
Broce-Ledesma and husband Mario are now back in Central Negros College (CNC).
After two failed attempts to serve the order that mandates
Margarito Broce, sister Lourdes Adelwisa, son Orven Keith, and daughter Elaine
Fatima "to vacate the school premises," Sheriff Romulo P. Daniel
successfully handed the order on August 17, just 15 minutes to noon.
A horde of riot police carrying shields from the Regional
Mobile Group, San Carlos City Police Office (SCCPO) and Negros Occidental
Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) assisted Daniel who was also with his own
assistants armed with acetylene.
Conditions
Unlike the violence with which the sheriff met on August 14,
Mr. Broce opened the gate himself and accepted the order but presented SCCPO
Chief Supt. Harold Tuzon with conditions. Among them were that Mr. Ledesma and
his bodyguards leave the vicinity of the campus, that only his sister, Mrs.
Ledesma, be allowed to enter, that only five police who signed the order at the
court be allowed to assist the sheriff, and that the offices and equipment be
left untouched.
Tuzon with P/Supt. Jefferson T. Descallar, operations chief of
NOPPO negotiated with Mr. Broce to allow a non-violent turn-over of the school
and all its facilities and equipment.
Molotov
However, the police found 11 improvised Molotov cocktail bombs
in a wheelbarrow behind the fence. The home-made bombs were covered with
another wheelbarrow and elements from RMG carefully removed them as City Fire
Marshall Jonathan Badel and other policemen inspected the campus for other
improvised bombs which are fire hazards.
Student-leaders
Mrs. Ledesma also ordered that the student-leaders of the
College Supreme Student Council go out of the campus. The students, who rallied
against the administration of Mr. and Mrs. Ledesma on June 5, were ushered out
by the police.
In an interview, a student-leader said that they had informed
Dean Isabelita Perigua and she had given her approval for the student's leave
of absence for ten days while the Ledesma couple is still the administration.
According to reports, Perigua was in Bacolod City to attend a seminar.
Asked again if their protest had been instigated by Mr. Broce's
camp, the student-leader denied and explained that they are protesting because
they believe that the Ledesmas had been corrupting the school funds and failed
to impose improvements.
To students and parents
On the other hand, Mrs. Ledesma gave her message to CNC
students and parents.
"Regular classes will continue. Everything will be as
is."
She added that they will not terminate teachers but will still
deliberate on the fate of those who had been hired under her brother's
administration. She did not comment on the status of the protesting
student-leaders but only said that the matter will still be discussed.
Further, Mrs. Ledesma assured that there are no more security
issues and parents need not fear for the safety of their children.
"It's safe. They (Mr. Broce's camp) are the ones making
trouble," she stated.
Long story
The takeover commenced the series of attempts to serve the
order from Municipal Trial Court of Cities Judge Peter Parco. On August 9,
Daniel failed to serve a temporary restraining order restoring the status of
the school before the June 5 rally of the students. Mr. Broce padlocked the
school gates and refused to receive the TRO as he and Mr. Ledesma exchanged
invectives.
On August 14, Mr. Broce's camp resisted with violence as his
son, Orven Keith, threw four empty glass bottles over the cemented fence. Awing
Mahinay, identified with Mr. Ledesma, was injured by a shard of glass that hit
his chin.
The younger Broce also flushed the entrance of the school with
gasoline.
Students in the middle
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Ledesma's re-occupation of the school
happened after CNC students have all
gone out. The pre-caution was taken after the August 14 chaos when hundreds of
high school and college students were locked inside Central Negros College for
at least an hour when Daniel and Mr. Ledesma's camp tried to push their way in
to serve the order.
Mr. Broce and Perigua locked the gates for fear that if they'd
open the gate, Mr. Ledesma and his men would rush in.
The students were only allowed to go after desperate and
anxious parents pounded at the gate and told Perigua to let the children
out.
The parents also persisted that their children be spared from
the family feud that now threatens to destroy the school and places the safety
of students on the line.
Perigua told the parents to call the police and ask them to
stand guard and facilitate an orderly exit of students. But the police cars
simply passed by the chaos of the growing mob. Until Barangay VI Captain
Reynaldo Batusin arrived to negotiate with the dean and pacify the growing
restlessness of the parents.
Batusin, upon hearing the concern of both the parents and
Broce's camp, immediately left to urge the Ledesmas to postpone plans of
another attempt to serve the court order until the students and faculty members
had all gone out.
The barangay captain came back with assurance that he'd stand
guard as the students, who were already neatly lined inside and prepared to
leave, go through the gate one by one.
MTCC will still
hold a hearing to solve the civil case between the Broces and the Ledesma
couple.
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