Baguio delegates off to CARAA amid safety issues

BUCKING security concerns, Baguio City’s delegation to the Cordillera Administrative Regional Athletic Association meet took off to Abra province Thursday afternoon to defend the city’s title in the regional games.

This after some schools hesitated over sending their athletes to the competition because of security concerns following a bombing incident in La Paz town in the province that killed two persons last Jan. 26.

City schools governance operations division chief Arthur Tiongan said on Thursday morning elementary and secondary schools in the city gave their approval to their student athletes’ attendance to the meet except University of Baguio which served notice of withdrawal of their athletes in a letter dated Jan. 31.

UB vice - president for administration Rommel Ayson cited the “unstable security of (Abra) where two officers died and where their congressman and staff sustained injuries (which) prompted some parents to withdraw their children from their” events as reason for their withdrawal.

“Moreover we also considered the mandate of (Department Order) DO No. 66 s. 2017 which places an emphasis on the safety of students during offcampus activities,” he said.

Tiongan who held an emergency meeting with the school officials and the athletes’ parents Thursday morning said UB stood pat with its decision but agreed to excuse from their classes athletes who will be allowed by their parents to join the competition.