300 aggrieved Coop members storm Davao office, demand board resignation

DAVAO CITY — Over 300 aggrieved members of the Agdao Multipurpose Cooperative, armed with axes and other carpentry tools, stormed the building along Torres Street on Saturday, March 29, around 9:00 PM. They demanded that the manager and board members step down, accusing them of misappropriating their hard-earned money.

According to a report from Police Major Marc Anthony Egos, the group, led by Ronnie Sobridella, forcibly entered the cooperative’s building to pressure the officers to resign. The group claimed that the board had failed to return their money.

Egos, who was later joined by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Archie Albao, intervened and helped facilitate talks between the protesting group and the cooperative, represented by their counsel Atty. Gibb Andrew and Atty. Cabahug. During the discussions, the cooperative presented a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals, dated December 17, 2024, along with a petition for a preliminary injunction.

Police Colonel Noel Asumen, the commander of the Bajada Police Station, and Albao explained the legal actions to the group led by Sobridella.

The protesters left the premises around 4:30 AM on Sunday, March 30. Both sides are expected to present their legal arguments before the court.

A statement posted by the cooperative on Sunday, March 30, revealed that the group consisted of former employees who had been terminated and were considered absent without leave (AWOL).

“We regret to inform you that on the night of March 29, 2025, around 9:00 PM, certain members, led by AWOL and terminated employees, forcibly entered the Agdao Coop Head Office. Unfortunately, this incident caused some damage to our property,” the cooperative said.

The post stated, “Please be advised that an ongoing court case is being heard at the Court of Appeals, which acknowledges the current management and Board of Directors through a Writ of Preliminary Injunction.”

The cooperative appealed to the members to respect the law and refrain from being swayed by emotions, stating, “Ultimately, we all share the same goal — the welfare and prosperity of our cooperative.”

On August 18, 2024, the Cooperative Development Authority intervened and called for a special representative assembly, which led to the formation of two sets of officers, one led by Michael John Gestopa and the other by Alexander Malaqui.

On September 2, 2024, former cooperative employees forcibly entered the Matina, Mintal, and Calinan branches, but those involved were later detained at the police station.

The cooperative earlier stated in March 2024 that the suspects, including fired special representative employees, were also involved in further incidents.