MANILA(October 29) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered a review of its bomb threat response protocols following a series of security scares at schools and universities, including recent incidents in Davao City and Cebu that disrupted classes and triggered campus inspections.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Wednesday, Oct. 28, that police units must assess existing procedures, strengthen investigative capabilities and determine whether additional specialized training is needed to improve their response to evolving threats.
The directive follows bomb threats at two major universities in Metro Manila that prompted student evacuations and class suspensions. Similar incidents have been reported in provincial schools in recent months.
In Davao City, separate bomb threats reported on Oct. 25 and 26 targeted St. John Paul II College of Davao and the University of Southeastern Philippines’ Obrero Campus. Explosive ordnance disposal and K9 teams inspected the campuses and found no suspicious objects. USeP suspended onsite transactions and shifted classes to flexible learning while investigations continued.
In Cebu City, students of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School were sent home early on Oct. 1 after a Facebook post threatened a bombing and shooting. Police and bomb-detection personnel inspected the campus and found no suspicious objects. Investigators traced the threat to a dummy social media account, according to a local report.
The incidents followed a wider series of school threats in Cebu. The Cebu Provincial Police Office recorded 19 school-targeted threats across 15 local government units from July to September and identified 13 suspects for questioning and investigation. Police said some threats appeared to have been made by students seeking to avoid examinations, assignments or classes.
Other incidents have also prompted security responses. In August, at least seven public schools in Cebu City’s mountain barangays were targeted by bomb or shooting hoaxes that briefly disrupted classes. In July, a reported threat against Vedasto F. Corcuera Elementary School in Davao City prompted authorities to inspect the campus, which was subsequently declared clear.
Police are investigating whether some of the reported threats are connected or represent isolated incidents. The reported cases vary in nature, and authorities have not established a link among them.
In Batangas, at least two people were recently arrested for their alleged involvement in bomb threats targeting two schools in the province, the PNP said. Further details on the arrests were not immediately provided in the statement.
“We must ensure that our bomb threat protocols evolve with the threats we face. Our response must be swift, our personnel well-trained, and our investigative capabilities strong enough to identify those responsible and prevent similar incidents,” Nartatez said.
He stressed that every reported threat requires an immediate security assessment and coordinated action among police units and school administrators.
“Every bomb threat must be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly. We will establish the facts, determine whether these incidents are connected, and hold those responsible accountable under the law,” he said.
The PNP said the review aims to strengthen preventive security measures, emergency response procedures and investigations to protect students, teachers and school personnel.
The recurring incidents have also exposed the disruption that threats can cause even when campus inspections yield no explosives. Evacuations, class suspensions and shifts to remote learning interrupt education, unsettle families and require schools and police to divert resources to security checks.
As the PNP reviews its protocols, the challenge is to ensure that threats are investigated promptly, students and school personnel are protected, and those responsible are identified through evidence-based investigations rather than speculation. Authorities must also communicate verified findings clearly to prevent rumors from compounding public anxiety.
