MANILA, Philippines — A bomb scare hit another school in Quezon City yesterday, disrupting the classes of students who were in the middle of their second quarter examinations.
The bomb threat at Ponciano Bernardo High School in Barangay Kaunlaran was reported by school officials to the Cubao police station at around 9:10 a.m.
Police said a certain Bob Key Ser posted a message on the school’s Facebook page at around 12:57 a.m. that he had planted a bomb on campus.
Several hours later, a teacher saw the message and relayed it to the school principal.
Teachers and other school employees conducted an inspection but did not find any explosive. As a precaution, they alerted the police, who immediately sent an explosive ordnance disposal unit.
Romeo Sierra, the school’s disaster response unit head, said the students were taking their exams but they suspended classes for everyone’s safety.
He said it is the first time the school experienced a bomb threat.
On Wednesday, the San Francisco High School in Barangay Sto. Cristo was hit by a hoax terror attack.
Classes at the New Era Elementary School in Barangay Culiat were suspended due to a bomb threat on Monday.
Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte yesterday ordered DepEd regional directors to coordinate with police to address security concerns in schools.
According to DepEd spokesman Michael Poa, Duterte instructed the department’s field operations to issue a directive for all regional offices and school division offices to help police identify which schools require spot inspections of weapons among personnel and learners. – Rainier Allan Ronda