• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A minor has been identified as a suspect in a shooting threat against a school in Victorias City, Negros Occidental and has been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for appropriate intervention.
PBrig. Gen. Rudecindo Reales, director of Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region, said on Wednesday, Oct. 14 the threat involved a social media post showing what appeared to be a firearm, which investigators later determined was a toy gun.
The minor allegedly made the threat to bully batchmates and classmates, based on police initial investigation.
Although the minor claimed to have been bullied, interviews with classmates and school officials indicated that the minor was the one bullying others, Reales said.
He said the Victorias National High School had previously recommended the minor’s suspension.
Reales confirmed that the investigators identified the minor through information provided by classmates and neighbors, adding that the toy gun used in the social media post was reportedly borrowed from a neighbor.
Police are also investigating other reported threats against schools in Negros Occidental, some of which are being coordinated with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Unit to identify those behind the posts and messages.
Reales said they are looking into whether the threats involving in Victorias National High School and Ramon Torres National High School in Bago City could be connected as similar names were reportedly used on the Messenger messaging app.
Investigators are also determining whether the threats were related to the ongoing examination period, including the possibility that they were intended to disrupt school examinations.
Reales emphasized that all reported threats are being acted upon, regardless of whether they have already been verified.
He urged parents, teachers and school officials to immediately report warning signs or suspicious behavior among students so authorities can respond promptly.
“We don’t want any incident to happen,” the PRO-NIR chief stressed, underscoring the need to investigate every threat while verifying the information. | GPB
