Tacloban school bomb threat turns out to be a hoax

TACLOBAN CITY — A bomb threat forced the immediate evacuation of over 1,000 students and staff at Kapuso Village Integrated School on Wednesday, July 8, before police bomb disposal experts cleared the campus and declared the threat a hoax.

The threat, discovered at 12:20 p.m. via a message posted on the school’s official Facebook page, triggered emergency response protocols involving the Philippine National Police (PNP), bomb disposal experts, firefighters, disaster responders, and local government officials.

In a statement, Schools Division Superintendent Sherlita Palma said the incident ended without injuries, casualties, or property damage.

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The PNP Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team completed a thorough inspection and double security sweep of the campus at 3:15 p.m.

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“The reported bomb threat was determined to be a malicious hoax,” Palma said, adding that the safety and well-being of learners and school personnel remained the division’s highest priority.

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Students on campus were evacuated in an orderly manner, while those arriving for classes were advised not to enter the premises. Classes for the remainder of the afternoon were suspended to ensure safety and provide psychosocial support.

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The Schools Division of Tacloban City has requested the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to investigate the source of the online threat and identify the individual responsible, with appropriate legal action to follow.

The campus, which has a student population of more than 1,000 from Kindergarten to Grade 10, has since heightened security measures along with other public schools in the city, placing educational institutions on increased alert against potential security threats.

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Palma commended the school’s administrators, teachers, staff, and responding agencies for their swift, coordinated response.

She also urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and rely only on official announcements from the Schools Division of Tacloban City and other authorized government agencies.

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The bomb scare comes just over two weeks after the June 22 mass shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where three students were killed, and 20 others were injured. /mcm