On June 4, according to the Philippine Business Daily, June 3 marked the start of the school year in the Philippines, and parents eagerly awaited their children to begin school. However, the Esther Yap Elementary School in Granular, Sarangani Province has remained closed. This is attributed to the defeat of the candidate for president, who lost again to his brother in the elections on May 13.
According to a report by ABS-CBN, it is said that former Granular Chinese president, Yin Liqi Yap, locked the school gates after notifying him in December of last year that he would reclaim the land of the school. If the Yap family and the school administration cannot resolve the conflict, approximately 400 elementary students will miss classes.
One parent urged Mr. Yap not to involve the school in his quarrel with his brother, Victor James Yap, who was recently re-elected as the president of the association.
Esther Yap Elementary School was established in 2007, during which Yin Liqi Yap was still the president of the Granular association. The land on which the public school is located is said to belong to Yin Liqi Yap, but he denies having signed a donation contract.
Yin Liqi Yap was undefeated until he completed his third term in 2010. The superintendent of Sarangani, Gadina, alleviated parents' concerns, stating that they do have a donation contract.
Gadina mentioned that she has sought police assistance regarding the issues surrounding the start of school on the 3rd.
