Cebu City tightens school security amid shooting threats

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Government and the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) have heightened security measures in schools across the city following a series of reported shooting threats circulated on social media that prompted police responses at separate educational institutions.

In separate advisories, the city government and the CCPO said they have increased police visibility around schools through regular patrols and intensified security assessments.

They also said sustained coordination with school administrators and relevant local government offices has been strengthened to help deter potential threats and ensure a faster response to security concerns.

READ: Cebu City school shooting threat: What we know so far

The advisories were issued after police separately responded to reported shooting threats involving schools in Barangay Pahina Central on Thursday, July 2, and Barangay Inayawan on Saturday, July 4.

Heightened security

CCPO Director Police Colonel Ricky Sumalde led a coordination meeting with Barangay Inayawan officials, the principal of Inayawan National High School, and police commanders following a reported shooting threat posted on Facebook.

READ: Bomb hoax: Cebu City eyes raps, has culprit’s number, e-mail

Earlier, Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said a teacher reported to authorities a screenshot of a social media post threatening to shoot teachers and school officials at Inayawan National High School. The post also contained explicit language directed at specific teachers and the school principal.

Tumulak said the school’s faculty reported the incident to the Inayawan Police Station, where it was entered into the police blotter for investigation.

The CCPO said the meeting focused on assessing the credibility of the reported threat, strengthening coordination among police, barangay officials, and school authorities, and implementing additional security measures to protect students, teachers, school personnel, and nearby residents.

During the meeting, the participating agencies also agreed to further increase police visibility around the school, enhance information sharing, and sustain close coordination in addressing potential security threats.

Earlier college threat

The heightened security measures also followed an earlier incident on Thursday after the Carbon Police Station received a report of a threatening Facebook post targeting a college in Barangay Pahina Central.

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) initially received information about a reported bomb threat but later confirmed that the incident involved a shooting threat posted on Facebook.

The Carbon Police Station immediately coordinated with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, the Traffic Management and Road Safety Unit (TMRU), the CCDRRMO, Barangay Pahina Central officials, and school authorities to secure the campus.

Authorities conducted a security sweep, required students entering the campus to undergo security screening, and temporarily restricted students from leaving while the inspection was underway.

Police later declared the campus safe after finding no suspicious items or indications of an imminent threat during the inspection.

Both the city government and the CCPO emphasized that ensuring school safety requires the continued cooperation of law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, parents, students, and the broader community in maintaining a secure learning environment.

Authorities also urged students, parents, teachers, and the public to immediately report suspicious individuals, activities, or online threats to school authorities or the nearest police station, rather than sharing unverified information on social media.

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