Benita Keme-Palacio - Greater Belize Media

Minister Fonseca Responds Belmopan Baptist High School Sickout

A sickout by teachers at Belmopan Baptist High School has brought serious concerns over school leadership to the forefront. Minister of Education Francis Fonseca responded to the situation after it was reported that over half the teaching staff refused to show up for work today.

Fonseca stated that the ministry is aware of the issues unfolding at the school. “We are aware of the issues and the concerns that have been raised,” Fonseca said, and added that the ministry is actively addressing the matter with the school’s management and board.

The protest, which involved nine out of seventeen teachers, stems from long-standing grievances with the school’s administration. Teachers have expressed frustration over ‘constant disrespect,’ unlawful terminations, and intimidation.

One teacher told News 5 that the leadership under the current chairman is the cause of unresolved issues. The teachers allege unfair dismissals and staff manipulation have also surfaced.

They have demanded immediate changes to restore respect and fairness at the school.

No Election Date Announcement on Friday

In a legal exchange dated today, the Attorney General of Belize responded to a pre-action letter sent by Anand Ramlogan SC, representing three individuals—Jeremy Enriquez, Rudolph Norales, and Jessica Tulcey.

The letter sought clarification on whether the Prime Minister would announce the date for the upcoming general election during Parliament’s next sitting, scheduled for this Friday.

The claimants argue that holding elections with the outdated boundaries would be unconstitutional, as they violate Section 90’s requirement for equal voter distribution across districts.

The Attorney General’s office confirmed that the Prime Minister will not be announcing the election date at that session, nor will he advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament on that date. This clarification addresses mounting public speculation regarding the election timeline.

The letter also outlined that “Courtenay Coye LLP is authorised to accept service of all communications and filings with respect to this matter on behalf of the Attorney General and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.” Meanwhile, “Marine Parade Chambers LLP is authorised to accept service of all communications and filings with respect to this matter on behalf of the Elections and Boundaries Commission.”

Defamation Lawsuit Between LOO and PM Settled

In a resolution that puts a three-year legal battle to rest, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition, will apologise to Prime Minister John Briceno following a defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit stemmed from comments made by Barrow on Channel 7’s Uncut in March 2022.

The Prime Minister, through his legal team at Courtenay Coye law firm, filed the defamation claim against Barrow. After lengthy negotiations, both parties reached an agreement, and the lawsuit was officially dismissed by the court.

The court order, handed down by Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke, states that Barrow did not intend to defame Briceno. The order further stipulates that Barrow must issue an apology for any “embarrassment or hurt” caused by his words. In return, once the apology is accepted, the matter will be dismissed, with both sides bearing their own legal costs.

Mother of Special Child Speaks Out on little Gabriel’s Death.

Kezia Young, the mother of an 8-year-old little girl who we have reported about previously, her name is Jenica Jenkins. She took to Facebook to share her experience and thoughts on this whole situation.

In an emotional Facebook video, Kezia Young, mother of 8-year-old Jenica Jenkins, expressed her outrage over the tragic death of a 6-year-old autistic boy from Stella Maris school. Yesterday, News 5 tracked little Gabriel’s steps as he was seen running down Belize City’s busy street alone.

In her video, Young criticised not only the police but the entire community for failing to intervene when the boy was clearly in distress.

She said that despite the presence of many people—including cyclists, drivers, and people walking—not a single adult stepped in to guide the child.

“As a society, blame unu self as a society—as a community— as a country, we failed that family, we failed that child,” Young said. “So much people mih dih out deh, and watch this this lee bwai dih run middle street. If unu mih even care as a society, unu mih wa realise that he was in a Stella Maris uniform.” A school dedicated for “differently abled kids,” she added.

She also lambasted the police for their lack of action when an off-duty police officer reportedly called 911 to report that Gabriel was seen alone in the streets.”

Speaking from her own experience as a mother of young Jenica, who was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and is also autistic, she said, “He might have been scared, more than anything; he might have been scared dih run dih street ina traffic by himself, and no one single adult stopped their care, no wah cyclist park pan dih side, nobody even try address the situation and simply take the little boy back to school.”

She pointed out the sad reality that she says has become a norm over time, seeing children walk the streets alone or walking to school alone. “Unu so comfortable sending kids to school by themselves, so comfortable allowing kids to go to the store by themselves,” she said.

Wear Blue on Thursday for Little Gabriel

On Thursday, February 6, all Belizeans are invited to come together to honour the memory of 6-year-old Gabriel Orellano by participating in the “Wear Blue for Gabriel” movement.

The campaign calls for wearing blue, sharing photos with the hashtag #BlueforGabriel, and advocating for stronger school safety measures and autism awareness following the tragic drowning of young Gabriel on Monday.

Garbiel, who was an autistic and mute student from Stella Maris in Belize City, managed to leave the campus unnoticed on Monday afternoon.

He wandered toward the seaside, where he tragically drowned. Gabriel’s father, Vidal Orellano, criticised the school’s handling of the situation, stating, “All of them, they shut up and stay quiet,” when he sought answers. Vidal also questioned the lack of security and how his son was able to leave the school grounds unnoticed.

Reports suggest that Gabriel’s body was discovered less than 30 minutes after an off-duty police officer noticed him alone on Wilson Street and contacted authorities.

Tracy Panton Wants to Mediate with Moses “Shyne” Barrow

Tracy Panton wants to hold mediation with Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Her legal team, Arnold & Co., is urging mediation in the ongoing leadership dispute within the United Democratic Party (UDP). The firm proposed two potential mediators—Deborah Swift and Consuelo Godfrey—suggesting this path could prevent further costly litigation.

In a letter, the firm stated, “We believe that mediation would be beneficial to the parties and alleviate the need for any further protracted litigation with costs attendant to same.” It added, “We had filed a Notice of Selection of Mediator in which we identified either Deborah Swift or Consuelo Godfrey as possible mediators from the list of court-connected mediators. Perhaps you may wish to consider them or suggest a mediator(s) for our consideration.”

This follows Panton’s faction attempting to take over the UDP’s headquarters in October 2024. In November 2024, the court ruled in favour of Barrow’s team, restoring headquarters control. As a trial scheduled for March 31, 2025, looms, both sides are considering mediation.

This request comes as an announcement of this year’s election date is expected.

Father of Autistic Student Questioned How Son Was Left Unnoticed

A father is left searching for answers after his 6-year-old autistic son, Gabriel Orellano, wandered away from the Stella Maris School and was later found in the sea about a mile from campus in Belize City.

Gabriel’s father, Vidal Orellano, told News Five that he was on his way to go out in the sea for work, since he’s a fisherman, when he was notified that his son had had an accident. However, he said he never expected what he learnt.

“I dah fisherman, I was at the port dih wait to go to sea, and my brother was the one that came to me and told me something happened to my son and we have to go now,” Vidal said, adding that he expected a broken bone injury at the worst, but never the news that his son had drowned.

Vidal described his son Garbiel as playful and happy, “no matter what nobody said about him, that he gave too much trouble or don’t sit down, it never mattered. I carried him with me… He never stayed nowhere without me.”

“The only thing I say in my head is why nobody grab ah? they see a lee baby dih walk by himself but they know he’s from Stella Maris, why nobody grab ah?” He said. “I would have rathered the police have my baby than weh part he deh right now.I would have appreciated if they grabbed him. No matter if I mih find him dih cry and police have ah, but at least I mi wah have ah in my hands still.”

Young Gabriel was found dead after wandering off the Stella Maris School compound on Monday morning. His body was discovered floating a mile away along the seaside.

Orellano had been attending the only school in the country for children with special needs, and his parents are now questioning how he was able to leave the secure school grounds unnoticed.

He mentioned that the school has stayed quiet while the investigation is ongoing, but he is scheduled to meet with them on Wednesday for an update.

“It Takes a Village” to Protect Kids

The drowning death of 6-year-old Gabriel Pablo Orellano on Monday near the Belize City municipal airstrip has sent shockwaves through the community. Christy Almeida, the Executive Chair and Co-Founder of Autism Belize, revealed that statistics show that 71% of children with autism die due to elopement and drowning.

With yesterday’s tragic incident, she says this has been a wake-up call for the Belizean community to protect vulnerable children like Gabriel.

Almeida explained that ‘elopement’ is a term often associated with children with autism, which refers to their tendency to wander off or run away, frequently without an awareness of danger. “They are not the kids that we can just easily teach to look at both sides of the road before they cross the street or to walk on the sidewalk or to understand this,” she said.

She said this is a reality that parents of children with autism face daily and added that these children are not misbehaving; they simply do not have the same understanding of risk that others do.

Almeida called for a stronger community approach to protect these children, stating that this incident is the reason and importance of having a “village” to support them. “We have to go back to ‘it takes a village.’ We need to create a community that will knock their chest and say, I will become his village, so no other parent has to go through what that family is going through today.”

In response to the incident, the Ministry of Education issued a statement, announcing that an investigation is underway. The police department, in collaboration with the ministry and the school, is working to gather all the details.

Under her capacity as the Ministry of Education’s Special Education Coordinator, Almeida stated she could not comment further on the investigation until it is complete and official updates are available.

EXCLUSIVE: Father of Autistic Student Demands Answers from School

Yesterday’s tragic incident involving the drowning of young Gabriel Orellano, an autistic student from Stella Maris School in Belize City, has raised serious concerns about the school’s security measures.

According to Gabriel’s father, Vidal Orellano, he said his 6-year-old son was mute.

Reports are that Gabriel managed to leave the school compound unnoticed on Monday afternoon. He wandered towards the seaside, where he tragically drowned.

Vidal said he didn’t learn of his son’s disappearance until later, and when he approached the school for answers, he was met with silence. “All of them, they shut up and stay quiet,” he stated.

He said teachers told him that his son was by the hangar area but gave no additional information. “When I went there and when I saw my little boy lying down there, passed away,” he said.

“They failed my son because if it was lunchtime, they should have a shift,” he said.

Vidal questioned what happened since the gate is usually closed, and the students are not allowed to leave the campus. He said, “Why was the gate open? Where was the security guard?” he asked.

“The school is keeping quiet,” he said, adding, “I entrusted them with my baby. And that’s my only son… it was only me and him.”

Reports indicate that Gabriel’s body was found less than 30 minutes after a police officer saw him alone on Wilson Street and reported it to 911. However, authorities failed to respond in time.

CWU Questions SSB CEO’s Sudden Exit

The Christian Workers Union (CWU) has expressed growing concern following the sudden and unexplained departure of the Chief Executive Officer of the Social Security Board, Dr. Leroy Almendarez.

In a statement, the CWU voiced frustration over the lack of transparency from the SSB Board. It stated, “SSB has yet to put out a credible narrative to explain why barely five months into his three-year contract, the CEO departed under dubious circumstances.”

Last week, SSB announced Dr. Almendarez’s departure and presented no official reason for his departure. In its announcement, SSB welcomed Jerome Palma as acting CEO.

The union said, “History will record that initially SSB did not follow proper procedure when it linked hiring a CEO and a Deputy CEO. When the issue was raised, it was met with certain defiance from the Board, which stated that the legislation allows. The legislation, however, refers to an assistant CEO.”

The CWU added, “The absence of a clear and credible response from SSB’s Board causes more speculation and unease.”