By Brian Campued
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Jonvic Remulla called on the public to report suspicious social media posts, particularly threats of violence, through the Unified 911 emergency hotline after authorities reportedly foiled an alleged attack at a school in Tolosa, Leyte on Wednesday night.
“Ito po ay panawagan ko sa lahat ng mga netizens natin. Kung may makita po kayo na kahit anong threat, or imminent threat, or chatter sa mga group discussions na mayroong gustong gawing mass shooting or violence to be inflicted, please call 911 and inform (us) right away,” Remulla said in a press conference at Camp Crame, Quezon City Thursday.
According to Remulla, authorities acted on a tip sent by Sen. Bam Aquino regarding information that a student was planning a mass shooting or stabbing targeting fellow students at the Tolosa National High School.
Based on the investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), a Facebook post was traced to a 14-year-old female Grade 10 student of the same school who allegedly created multiple social media accounts to spread threatening messages.
“The investigation revealed that she created multiple Facebook accounts to disseminate this content, which spread rapidly across social media, alarming students, parents, and the public,” Remulla said.
According to the CIDG report, the student later deleted the posts after authorities contacted her.
One of the translated posts allegedly read: “Hello, send this to your friends. Yo, from Tolosa. Prepare yourselves, especially you, as you owe me. Get ready. I will disrupt the school. You won’t know me, but you will recognize me. There’s no time, no day. Be prepared for whoever gets shot or stabbed.”
Authorities later declared the threat neutralized after finding no evidence of an organized plot, accomplices, or access to firearms.
While not facing any charges, the student and her parents were instead subjected to counseling from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DILG chief also noted that “personal and family issues” may have motivated the student to make the alarming posts.
Remulla stressed that all reports of possible violence must be treated seriously, regardless of whether they ultimately prove credible.
“Any threat is considered live until it is neutralized,” he said.
“Basta may makita kayong kahit konti man na babala na meron mangyayaring karumal-dumal, magsabi kayo kaagad. Tumawag kayo sa 911, sabihin n’yo kung ano ang nakita ninyo para maimbestigahan kaagad,” he told the public.
Authorities are also looking into whether the student may have been influenced by Monday’s fatal shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
Remulla added that the 14-year-old female student also plays GoreBox, a game that the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has temporarily banned after initial findings showed that one of the Tacloban shooting suspects was an avid player of the violent game. (with report from Ryan Lesigues / PTV News)
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