DAVAO CITY – Classes were disrupted at the Santa Ana Elementary School in Poblacion District here after receiving a bomb threat on Thursday morning, June 22, authorities said.
Police Capt. Hazel Tuazon, spokesperson for the Davao City Police Office, said in a text message that the Santa Ana Police Station received a phone call around 10:10 a.m. that a bomb exploded inside the school.
The school was cleared of threat at 12:45 p.m. or after almost three hours of inspection, she said.
Task Force Davao commander Col. Darren Comia said in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that it remains unclear how the threat started but added that the authorities are trying to determine the origin of the threat, which caused panic among the teachers, students, and parents in school.
“There is a bomb threat but we are still trying to trace the origin. The security forces are doing their best to get the situation back to normal (in the school). We are doing our best to trace whoever is responsible for spreading this, and we will file a case once we capture them,” he said.
He urged the public to avoid spreading bomb threats that would cause panic to the public.
Comia said authorities are strictly enforcing the law penalizing individuals spreading bomb threats or jokes.
Presidential Decree 1727 declares as “unlawful the malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning, bombs, explosives, or any similar device or means of destruction.”
Section 1 of the decree states that any person who violated the law will be subject to five years of imprisonment, or a fine of not more than P40,000 or both.
The Department of Education Schools-Division of Davao City has issued a statement condemning the incident.
It directed schools here to reinforce tight security measures in their respective school communities, continuously improve communication protocols, strengthen security and surveillance measures, consistently monitor and check all classrooms and buildings, actively avoid the dissemination of unverified information on jeopardizing news, and to constantly prioritize the safety and well-being of all teachers and learners.