More schools hit by attack threats

MANILA, Philippines — Classes at the Batangas City Integrated High School were suspended yesterday after an unidentified person claiming to be a bullied student threatened to shoot BCIHS students.

According to the Batangas City Police, school officials discovered the threatening messages on the official BCIHS Facebook page at around 9:54 p.m. on Sunday.

In Negros Occidental, police are also investigating a separate online shooting threat involving students in Escalante City, after screenshots of an online conversation circulated on social media yesterday.

The Batangas messages warned of an attack targeting some students in Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10, claiming the targets had bullied the messenger.

As a precautionary measure, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 4-A and the school administration immediately ordered the suspension of all classes and on-site school activities to ensure the safety and security of students, teachers and staff.

DepEd added that it is coordinating closely with law enforcement authorities and appealed to the public to remain calm, refrain from spreading unverified information and rely only on announcements issued through the school’s official communication channels.

The agency also urged the public to immediately report suspicious messages, accounts or activities to school authorities or the police.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said it is looking into the possibility that a bullied student was really behind the alleged school shooting threat.

As of yesterday, investigators have yet to identify the owner of the dummy Facebook account.

“Our investigation is ongoing. We just want to determine who owns that dummy account. At present, we have not found any danger at the school we inspected aside from the threat posted on Facebook,” Batangas City Police public information officer Lt. Sharen Ama said.

The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group has launched a digital investigation to trace the source of the online threat.

As authorities conduct further investigation, BCIHS announced that regular classes will resume today.

Principal Aida Gutierrez assured the public that the school coordinated with the local government unit and other concerned authorities before deciding to reopen.

“Following a thorough assessment and the implementation of appropriate precautionary measures, the school administration and the LGU assure the public that the school is safe. Everyone is encouraged to remain calm and not be alarmed. The situation is being closely monitored, and additional security measures will continue to be implemented as needed,” she said.

Gutierrez reminded the public not to spread unverified information that could cause unnecessary fear or panic. — Evelyn Macairan, Mark Ernest Villeza, Gilbert Bayoran, Miriam Desacada