Protesters leave Cotabato school; classes resume

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines – Classes in the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan town this province resumed on Monday after protesters disbanded last Friday after a caretaker replaced the school president whose ouster they have been demanding since January.

Lawyer Christopher Cabilen, who replaced beleaguered USM president Jesus Antonio Derije, is a legal assistant of North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco.

Dozens of protesters, some of them from the USM’s rank and file, had picketed for almost six months at the main gates of the university to dramatize their demand for Derije’s ouster over alleged mismanagement and embezzling of school funds.   

Cabilen though will only act as USM caretaker for four weeks, while waiting for the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman on the graft cases against Derije and the decision of the Commission on Higher Education on the clamor for his immediate replacement.

Classes at the USM resumed immediately after the protesters left the university’s gates through the intercession of local officials.

The protesters twice clashed with policemen who tried but failed to disperse them to enable Derije to report to his office in the 6,000-hectare USM campus.

The protesters only agreed to remove their barricades at the USM gates after a dialogue with Catamco and other local officials.

The dialogue was held a day after President Aquino gave assurance to look into the leadership crisis at USM. 

Last Sunday night, a still unidentified gunman shot and wounded the human resources director of USM.

The victim, Cynthia Alpas, was alighting from her vehicle after pulling over from a busy spot in Matalam town, also in North Cotabato, when the gunman, wearing denim pants and a dark shirt, approached her and opened fire with a .45-caliber pistol.

Alpas was hit in the arm and thigh, said Matalam police chief Senior Inspector Elias Dandan.

Witnesses said the gunman was to finish off Alpas, who was slumped on the ground, but balked after sensing that the shots he fired attracted the attention of barangay watchmen positioned not far from the scene.

Dandan said investigators have yet to determine if the attempt to kill Alpas could be related to the protests at USM.

Dandan said Alpas is now confined in a hospital, guarded by policemen.

Earlier, two men also tried to burn the vehicle of the USM’s chief security officer while parked in the campus.