• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Mariano G. Medalla Integrated School in Barangay Pahanocoy became the latest victim of security threats troubling educational institutions across Bacolod City, following a fake bomb threat July 21.
The Bacolod Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine team inspected all four campus buildings with negative results for any explosive device or hazardous materials.
The police said an anonymous 911 caller reported a supposed bomb inside the campus at around 12:30 p.m.
Despite the all-clear declaration, OIC principal Maria Cecelia Bergantin suspended classes for the afternoon to ensure the wellbeing of students and school staff.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya, meanwhile, condemned the hoax, calling it a malicious effort to incite panic in schools.
He affirmed the city’s firm stance against acts threatening academic communities, and announced that the city is preparing to install handheld and walk-through metal detectors in all elementary and secondary public schools across Bacolod.
“Every bomb threat should not be taken lightly by the police and school. Even though it is just a prank, it needs to be verified,” secretary to the mayor, Atty. Jose Marty Go, stressed.
Police authorities are continuing their investigation to identify the caller behind the false alarm and hold the perpetrator accountable under the law.
The University of St. La Salle, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, and Luisa Medel National High School logged similar security scares early this month. | TMD
