(Photo courtesy of DepEd Eastern Visayas)
The Department of Education in Eastern Visayas is calling for stronger consequences against students who make false shooting or bomb threats after several schools in the region received fake alerts in recent months.
DepEd Eastern Visayas Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez said authorities should take threats seriously even when students claim they were made as jokes, citing the disruption and panic caused by emergency responses.
Jimenez said the concern intensified after the deadly June 22 attack at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which prompted closer coordination among DepEd, police and other agencies.
He proposed that students found responsible for fake threats be referred to rehabilitation centers, arguing that a more serious intervention could serve as a deterrent.
According to Jimenez, some alerts were allegedly made by students hoping to force class suspensions, including instances when examinations were scheduled.
Schools that received threats included Kapuso Village Elementary School, Sto. Niño SPED Center, Holy Infant College and Leyte National High School in Tacloban, as well as schools in Eastern Samar, Leyte and Northern Samar.
DepEd already classifies bomb threats and bomb jokes as third-level offenses under Department Order No. 006, series of 2026, placing them among the most serious violations under its school safety rules.
Under the policy, a first offense may result in non-readmission the following school year and referral to authorities, while a second offense may lead to immediate exclusion from the school.