Leyte student briefly held over threats of campus attack

MANILA, Philippines — A 14-year-old student from Tolosa, Leyte province, was released hours after being taken into police custody and turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for allegedly posting online threats of a school attack, with authorities later finding no evidence of an organized plan or immediate danger.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thursday that the Grade 10 student of Tolosa National High School could not be charged under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, prompting her release after police intervention and assessment by social welfare authorities.

The student had been taken into custody by operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) following a tip from Sen. Bam Aquino regarding a threatening social media post that surfaced Wednesday night.

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The post said: “‘Hello. Send this to your friends. Yo, from Tolosa, prepare yourselves, especially to you, as you owe me. Get ready. I will disrupt the school.”

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“You won’t know me, but you will recognize me. There is no time nor day. Be prepared for whoever gets shot or stabbed. We don’t care. Good luck to you at Tolosa National High School,” it added.

The threat triggered alarm in Leyte, coming just three days after a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City allegedly carried out by two students age 14 and 15. The attack left three students dead and 20 others injured.

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‘Neutralized and inactive’

Authorities quickly tracked down the Tolosa student, whom investigators said had allegedly created multiple Facebook accounts to circulate the threatening messages. Her identity was established through social media analysis and information provided by concerned individuals.

However, subsequent investigation found no indication that the threat would be carried out.

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“Following engagement with their family, the threat appears to be neutralized and inactive,” Remulla said during a briefing at Camp Crame. “No evidence of an organized plan or involvement of others was found.”

Investigators also determined that neither the student nor her family had access to firearms. Police said the social media accounts and posts had already been deleted by the time authorities reached her.

According to Remulla, the student was initially hesitant to cooperate due to fear of repercussions, while her parents declined to provide information to investigators. Authorities later found that personal and family issues may have contributed to the online posts.

“It was possible that she was influenced by the recent shooting in San Jose National High School,” Remulla said.

The interior secretary also noted that both suspects in the Tacloban shooting and the Tolosa student were avid players of the online game GoreBox, which has since been temporarily banned by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center pending further review.

Stronger intervention

The incident drew calls from educators for stronger mental health and guidance programs in schools.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines said the case underscored the need for psychosocial interventions and support systems for children in distress rather than renewed proposals for harsher penalties against minors.

“These findings point to a child in distress and highlight the urgent need for accessible guidance services, psychosocial interventions, and community-based support mechanisms,” ACT chair Ruby Bernardo said.

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The group said many learner-related incidents stem from family problems, economic hardship, mental health concerns and inadequate support systems, adding that public schools continue to face shortages of guidance counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers needed to identify and assist at-risk students. /cb