By ARDY INES ARANETA-BATOY
TALIBON, BOHOL – A bizarre incident that occurred during a Catholic
mass at San Jose National High School in Talibon, Bohol on Friday
morning has sparked a heated debate between faith and science.
Hundreds of students reportedly fainted and experienced difficulty in
breathing, prompting a massive rescue operation by the local authorities
and medical personnel.
Some students claimed that they saw a “large black man” who threatened
to kill them all because they had cut down a tree.
They also said that they felt as if they were being “possessed by evil
spirits.”
These claims were supported by a priest who was present at the mass,
who said that the students were victims of “spiritual harassment” by
demonic forces.
POSSESSED OR ATTACKED?
The mass was led by Rev. Fr. Dominador Amoncio, the parish priest of San
Jose Parish, who was invited by the school to celebrate the feast of the
Holy Spirit.
According to Fr. Darwin Anober Gitgano, the director of the Diocesan
Commission on Social Communications, what happened to the students
was a case of “spiritual harassment” by an evil entity.
Fr. Gitgano said he based his conclusion on the testimony of a male
student who cried while telling him the story of his mother.
The student said he saw a “big black man with a mask” standing in the
“balite tree” near the school chapel.
The balite tree is believed to be a dwelling place of spirits and supernatural
beings.
Fr. Gitgano said the student’s mother was also a victim of spiritual
harassment when she was young.
She told her son that she saw the same black man in her dreams and that
he tried to choke her.
Fr. Gitgano said he prayed over the student and his mother and advised
them to strengthen their faith and devotion to God.
He also said he instructed Fr. Amoncio to bless the school premises and
the balite tree with holy water and holy oil.
He added that he will coordinate with the school administration and the
Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct a seminar on spiritual warfare
and deliverance for the students and teachers.
He urged the public to pray for the protection and healing of the affected
students and their families.
MASS HYSTERIA?
However, these claims of demon attacks were not included in the official
police report, which attributed the incident to “mass hysteria” and
“hyperventilation.”
The police report stated that the incident started when three students
suddenly fainted and complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing.
This triggered a panic among the other students, who also began to
experience similar symptoms.
Police reports also noted that most of the students who were taken to the
hospital had normal blood pressure levels, based on the findings of the
medical professionals who attended to the students at the Garcia Memorial
Provincial Hospital (GMPH).
According to a physician at the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital,
hyperventilation is a condition where a person breathes too fast or too
deeply, causing an imbalance in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in
the blood.
This can lead to various symptoms, such as dizziness, fainting, chest pain,
and difficulty in breathing, the doctor said.
The lady physician, who refused to be named as she was not authorized to
speak on behalf of the hospital, told Cebu media that hyperventilation can
be caused by various factors, such as stress, anxiety, fear, or physical
exertion.
She said that the students may have been under a lot of pressure due to
their academic performance, peer pressure, or personal problems.
She also said that the mass gathering may have created a stressful
environment for the students, especially with the hot and humid weather.
The lady doctor added that hyperventilation can also induce mass hysteria,
which is a phenomenon where a group of people could share and mimic
each other’s symptoms or behaviors due to psychological or social factors.
She said that mass hysteria can spread quickly through verbal or non-
verbal cues, such as screams, cries, or gestures, adding that mass hysteria
can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
The physician emphasized that hyperventilation and mass hysteria are not
life-threatening conditions and can be treated easily by calming down the
person and restoring their normal breathing pattern.
Most of the students who were brought to the hospital were discharged
after receiving oxygen therapy and psychological counseling, the doctor
told authorities.
She said that only a few students remained at the hospital for further
observation and care.
She also dismissed the claims of some students who said that they saw a
large black man or felt possessed by evil spirits.
She said that these were hallucinations or delusions caused by hypoxia,
which is a lack of oxygen in the brain.
The doctor noted that hypoxia can affect a person’s perception, cognition,
and memory, leading to distorted or false impressions of reality.
These hallucinations or delusions were not evidence of any supernatural or
paranormal activity, she noted.
However, not everyone agreed with the physician’s explanation.
A church staff said that he witnessed first hand how some students
exhibited signs of demonic possession or oppression.
The staff who refused to be named has told Bohol media that some
students spoke in strange languages, displayed unnatural strength, or
showed aversion to holy objects or prayers.
He said that a priest in the scene tried to exorcise some of them using holy
water and crucifixes, but they only became more agitated and violent.
Another priest from the Diocese of Talibon said that he believed that the
students were being harassed by evil spirits who wanted to disrupt the Holy
Mass and prevent them from receiving God’s grace.
The priest who declined to be named by media reports because his
observation is not conclusive yet has said that he had heard rumors that
some students had cut down a sacred tree near the school grounds without
permission from the elders or respect for the spirits who dwell there.
He said that this may have angered the spirits and provoked their wrath
upon the students.
The priest said he prayed for God’s protection and mercy for the students
and their families.
He also urged them to repent from their sins and seek forgiveness from
God for cutting the balite tree.
He also advised them to avoid any involvement with occult practices, such
as witchcraft, sorcery, or divination, which he said were gateways to
demonic influence.
He also encouraged them to strengthen their faith and devotion to God and
the Church.
The incident at the San Jose National High School has sparked a heated
debate between faith and science, with some people siding with the priest’s
spiritual explanation and others with the medical explanation.
Some people have also expressed their skepticism and suspicion about
both explanations, saying that there may be more to the incident than
meets the eye.
As of this writing, the school administration has not issued any official
statement regarding the incident.
The school had also suspended its classes as of last Friday.
Local authorities in Talibon town have assured the public that they are
doing their best to ensure the safety and well-being of the students and
their families.
They have also appealed for calm and cooperation from all parties
involved.
POLICE ACCOUNT
According to a police report, the incident occurred at San Jose National
High School in Talibon, Bohol, at around 8:15 am.
Approximately 2,000 students, along with the school faculty, had
assembled for the event when three students suddenly displayed pallor and
complained of chest pains and difficulty in breathing.
As the initial affected students were being transported by ambulance, a
growing number of students began to faint and experience similar
symptoms.
By 10:30 am, police and medical personnel had responded to the scene
and transported a total of 269 students to Garcia Memorial Provincial
Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
While the police report does not mention any supernatural causes for the
incident, some students have claimed to have seen a dark and menacing
figure during the Mass.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the figure
appeared to be a giant man with glowing red eyes and a booming voice.
“He said, ‘I will kill you all for cutting down the tree,'” the student recounted.
“Then I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. I couldn’t breathe, and I
passed out.”
Another student, who identified herself as Clara, said that she saw the
same figure and heard the same message. “I was so scared,” she said. “I
thought I was going to die.”
“I don’t believe it was just mass hysteria,” said one parent, who also wished
to remain anonymous. “My daughter was perfectly fine before the Mass
started. But then she saw that figure and started to scream. She passed
out right away.”
The police and medical authorities are still investigating the incident, and it
is unclear what caused the students to faint.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
According to Aimee Arsenio, an eyewitness who was looking for her nieces
at the school, she felt terrified and confused by what she saw.
“Wa ko kasabot sa akong gibati intawn ganina while nangita sa akong mga
pag-umangkon (I don’t understand what I felt earlier while looking for my
nieces),” she said.
“Praise God okay ra sila (Praise God they are okay) pero looya sa mga
bata intawn (but I pity the children),” she added.
Another witness, Doreen Millosa, a parent of two students who were also
present at the school, said that her daughter was crying because she did
not expect such a thing to happen at their school.
“Ang akong anak nga babae naghilak intawon kay wala siya magdahom
nga ingon ani ang mahitabo sa school nila dihang nag nagpahigayon sila
ug misa (My daughter was crying because she did not expect this to
happen at their school when they were having a mass),” she said.
She also shared that some of the students claimed to have seen a black
man with no face, and others said that the children were possessed by evil
spirits because of a tree that was cut near the covered court where the
mass was held.
“Ang sulti sa uban mga bata diha kuno silay na kit.an nga Itom nga lalaki
nga dili makita ang panagway. Ug ang sulti pud sa uban gisaniban daw ang
mga bata kay gipul ongan ang maong kahoy nga maoy hinongdan nga
nagwala daw ang maong kapri/ agta nga nagpuyo atong kahoy nga naa
nahimutangan sa ilang Covered Court nga maoy lugar kun diin gipahigayon
ang maong Mesa,” she said.
“Hay…nagpasalamat gyud ko sa Ginoo kay gipanalipdan gyud ang akong
duha ka anak sa maong panghitabo (Sigh..I really thank God for protecting
my two children from this incident),” she added.
Atty. Lenard Querubin SB posted on Facebook, saying: “I personally
witnessed this ‘Mass Hysteria’ as they say, just this morning in San Jose
National High School, Talibon, Bohol where a huge number of students
exhibited unusual behaviors and fainted while attending the Holy Mass. Wa
ko kasabot sa akong gibati intawn ganina while nangita sa akong mga pag-
umangkon. Praise God okay ra sila pero looya sa mga bata intawon.”
WHAT IS MASS HYSTERIA
Mass hysteria is a phenomenon where a group of people experience
similar physical or psychological symptoms, often triggered by stress, fear,
or rumors. Some of the common symptoms include fainting, nausea,
vomiting, headache, and trembling.
Mass hysteria is not a new occurrence in the Philippines, as there have
been several reported cases in the past.
In 2014, more than 1,000 students from different schools in Palawan
experienced mass hysteria after hearing rumors of a bomb threat.
In 2016, about 20 students from a school in Quezon City fainted and
claimed to see ghosts after watching a horror movie.
In 2018, over 100 students from a school in Negros Occidental suffered
from mass hysteria after allegedly being possessed by evil spirits.
Experts have advised the public to remain calm and avoid spreading panic
or false information that may trigger mass hysteria.
They also suggested that schools should provide counseling and
psychological support to the students who are affected by the incident.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Miguelito S. Jayoma, Chief of Garcia Memorial
Provincial Hospital (GMPH), the students suffered from mass hysteria, a
psychological phenomenon that causes physical symptoms in a large
group of people.
He said that 135 students were taken to GMPH, where most of them were
women.
Two students were confined in the hospital, but their condition is now
stable. The estimated headcount of the victims is 250 more or less.
SJNHS Principal Edwin Corbita announced that the class has been
canceled for the day and the students have gone home to their respective
homes.
He said that the cause of the mass hysteria is still unknown and under
investigation.
Talibon, Bohol Mayor Janette Aurestila-Garcia, in a Facebook post,
thanked all the responders who answered their call very quickly to help
respond to the incident.
She urged the public to avoid spreading false information that could create
fear and anxiety among the students and parents.
The responders who assisted in the incident were MDRRMO-Talibon
headed by Vladimir Avenido, PNP Talibon headed by PCPT. Amelito M.
Melloria, BFP Talibon headed by SINSP Aproniano Torrejos, RHU Talibon
headed by Dr. Edwin Carlo Chua, TRENT, led by Diego Medina, Panfilo
Sumalinog, TARSIER 117- Talibon, TARSIER 117-Ubay, CAT Officers and
SJNHS- SGG Officials, Mayor Garcia said.
MORE ABOUT MASS HYSTERIA
Mass hysteria is a term that describes a phenomenon in which a group of
people experience physical or psychological symptoms that have no
apparent physical cause, according to an online encyclopedia.
Mass hysteria can affect people who share a common bond, such as a
community, a school, or a workplace. Some examples of mass hysteria
are:
- The dancing plague of the Middle Ages, when people in Europe started
dancing uncontrollably for days or weeks until they collapsed or died. - The genital shrinking panic in Africa and Asia, when men feared that their
genitals were disappearing or being stolen by sorcerers. - The Pokemon shock incident in Japan, when thousands of children
reported nausea, headaches, and seizures after watching an episode of the
popular anime series that featured flashing lights.
Mass hysteria is also known as mass psychogenic illness, epidemic
hysteria, mass sociogenic illness, or mass psychogenic disorder, Wikipedia
said.
It is considered a type of conversion disorder, which means that
psychological stress or distress is converted into physical symptoms. Mass
hysteria can be triggered by various factors, such as: - Rumors, fears, or beliefs that spread among the group
- Environmental or biological factors that cause similar symptoms
- Media or social media exposure that amplifies the perceived threat
- Stressful or traumatic events that affect the group
Mass hysteria can be treated by identifying and removing the source of the
trigger, providing reassurance and education to the affected people, and
offering psychological support or counseling if needed, Wikipedia said.
Mass hysteria is not a sign of mental illness or weakness, but rather a
normal human response to extreme situations, it noted.