CEBU CITY, July 18 — The office of the Department of Education (DepEd) and 10 public schools here received subsequent bomb threats on Tuesday prompting the suspension of classes in all public elementary and high schools.
The Cebu City Schools Division office got the first threat past 8:00 a.m. and employees were ordered to vacate the building.
“The caller sounded like he was a Muslim and he denounced the government’s bombing of Marawi,” said Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Bianito Dagatan. “He then warned us to be careful as a bomb will be detonated in our office.”
As the same threat was issued to some 10 public schools, the DepEd was prompted to order the suspension of classes in all public elementary schools and high schools.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, said the threats caused panic among the parents, who forcibly stormed the schools to get their children and destroyed some of the schools’ properties and structures in the process.
Tumulak said the schools that received the bomb threat include the Zapatera Elementary School located just at the back of the DepEd building, Mabolo Elementary School, Labangon Elementary School, Lahug Elementary School, Tejero Elementary School, Don Carlos A. Gothong Memorial National High School, and the Cebu City Central School.
“I will go out and hunt this person (caller) as he caused a lot of damage to school properties, including concrete fences and gates,” Tumulak said. “He better hide, because I have his phone number with me.”
Tumulak said he got hold of the caller’s phone number through the DepEd office’s caller ID.
City Councilor Joy Augustus Young, deputy mayor on education, said he agreed with the DepEd’s decision to suspend the classes as these threats should not be taken lightly. “We should take these threats seriously even if they turn out to be practical jokes from pranksters,” Young said.
Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics, Bomb Squad, and K9 Unit were still checking the school buildings and their premises for any explosive device as of this writing. (LBG/PNA)
