Classes suspended as threats hound 2 Cebu LGUs

Local

TWO local government units (LGUs) in Cebu Province are strengthening their security measures ollowing online threats targeting educational institutions.

In Consolacion town, in-person classes were suspended in six schools and shifted to modular learning due to threats they received on Monday, Aug. 3.

Affected schools were Consolacion National High School, San Narciso School, Tayud National High School, including Tayud Elementary School, Tolotolo National High School, including Tolotolo Elementary School, and Tugbongan Elementary and National High School.

Mayor Teresa “Nene” Alegado said she learned about the online threat as early Sunday night, Aug. 2, when somebody sent her a screenshot of the online threat.

The supposed threat read: “NAGANDAM NA MI SA AMOANG TEAM NA MAMUSIL SA DIRI NGA LUGAR TARGET….HAHAHA CONDOLENCE LANG DAAN.”

The text also mentioned CNHS (Grades 7–9), SNS (Grades 7–10), and TNHS (Grades 7–10) as the supposed target schools.

“Kay you know with the proliferation of abuse of the social media, I think nisakay ang mga bata-on. Dili sad nato pwede nga ato lang ibaliwala. We really have to do investigation,” Alegado told reporters.

Alegado coordinated with school personnel and the police to verify and investigate the threat.

In another official statement released by the LGU, it said the police had already traced the initial chain of the dissemination of the threat and were able to identify the display name “Charlie Kirk” on TikTok as the source of the message.

The Consolacion police have coordinated PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to conduct digital forensics and trace the identity of the user, including the user’s location.

Regular classes in the affected schools will resume on Tuesday, Aug. 4. as investigation showed no immediate physical danger.

Police and barangay tanods will be deployed to school perimeters to ensure security and safety.

In Talisay City, threats also circulated on social media but a city-wide class suspensionwas not declared.

“The City Government will not impose a citywide suspension of classes at this time, as there is currently no verified information indicating a specific or credible threat directed at all schools in Talisay City,” Mayor Samsam Gullas said in a statement.

Gullas said law enforcers in the city are verifying the threats, which only mentioned acronyms and not the full names of the schools.

The mayor said that while they opted not to suspend classes, the LGU looked into the matter seriously.

Police personnel were ordered to inspect and deploy more personnel in the campuses subjected to the threats.

Gullas pointed out that this is not the first time the city has implemented security measures due to online threats.

The city has already implemented safety measures and protocols, particularly in schools, such as purchasing and donating 100 handheld metal detectors, conducting orientation and training for school security personnel, and holding Child Protection Policy orientations and anti-bullying seminars.

Gullas said the city will not allow unverified information and threats to disrupt schools in the city.

Both LGUs urged the public to remain calm, avoid sharing unverified information online, stay vigilant, and report any suspicious activities to authorities.(MyTVCebu)