Bomb threat disrupts classes at Bacolod City school; hoax confirmed

BACOLOD CITY — A bomb threat that disrupted classes at a public school here on Tuesday afternoon, July 21, turned out to be a hoax, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported. Police clearance came after a sweep of the Mariano G. Medalla Integrated School yielded negative results for explosives. Responding personnel from BCPO Police Station 8 (PS8), led by Officer-in-Charge Maj. Rondyl Tapang, arrived on campus shortly after receiving the report at around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit using a trained bomb-detection K9 systematically inspected all four school buildings. Following the clearance, OIC Principal Maria Cecelia G. Bergantin suspended classes for the day. An investigation is ongoing to trace the origin of the threat, the BCPO said. The alleged bomb threat at Mariano G. Medalla Integrated School was reported through a 911 call, Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said. “The City of Bacolod condemns this malicious attempt to incite fear and panic in our educational institutions. We maintain our position of non-tolerance for any act that threatens the safety of our students and educators,” the mayor said. The city government remains in close coordination with the BCPO as they conduct a thorough investigation to identify the source of the false threat, he added. To proactively improve security, the city government has prepared the installation of handheld and walk-through metal detectors in all elementary and secondary schools, he added. Alongside the equipment, police personnel have also conducted security briefings and emergency protocol symposia for school officials, teachers, and students to ensure threat preparedness, Gasataya said. “The City shall enforce all necessary measures to ensure our schools remain secure environments for learning,” he added.