Police after person behind hoax bomb threat in Cebu City university

After a two-hour search, Cebu City police concluded that there were no explosives stashed at the University of Cebu Banilad Campus. |CDN Digital photo / Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Classes were allowed to resume at the University of Cebu (UC) Banilad Campus on Tuesday afternoon after law enforcers failed to locate the grenades that were said to be hidden within the school’s premises and were set to detonate at exactly 12 noon.

Personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) did a sweep of the different classrooms and offices located at the nine-storey school building for two hours or until 10 a.m., but they did not find any explosives.

“So, after sa pagclear sa atoang pag-panel sa atoang EOD, na-find out nga negative. Walay nakita nga mga signs or any [presence] sa bomba,” Police Major Romeo Caacoy, chief of Mabolo Police Station, said in an interview with the local media.

READ: ‘Bomb threat’ disrupts university in Banilad, Cebu

After clearing the school, Caacoy said they will now focus their investigation on finding the person behind the hoax bomb threat, in coordination with the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU).

Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that creating a hoax bomb scare is a serious offense that is punishable with imprisonment.  

READ: Mandaue gripped by ‘false’ bomb threats, officials enraged

If arrested, the person responsible may also be charged with alarm and scandal, among others.

Bomb threat

Classes were disrupted at the UC Banilad campus on Tuesday morning due to a bomb threat that stemmed from a social media post that went viral.

READ: PRO-7 releases safety tips against bomb threats

The user, identified as Shaleej Alejandra, mentioned of a shooting and bombing incident that will happen inside the campus on Tuesday. The post added that at least six grenades that were stashed in the attic somewhere in the school were set to detonate at 12 noon.

In her post, Alejandra also mentioned the name Jimmy Bulacan, a close friend of her father.  She said that Bulacan was a predator who did “psychotic” things to him/her while he was at their residence.

READ: Cebu City to file charges against persons behind bomb threats

Macatangay said that the social media account that Alejandra used was created just recently and for the sole purpose of posting the bomb threat.

Police are also in the process of verifying to determine if Bulacan was a real person or just a fictitious name.

Security protocols

It was not the first-time that UC Banilad became the target of a bomb threat.

UC Chancellor Candice Gotianuy gave the assurance that all of their campuses remain safe as they are also trying to strengthen their security protocols.

In a social media post, Gotianuy said that the university’s management is working closely with RACU to identify the person behind the hoax bomb threat.

Moreover, she is reminding the public to refrain from posting threats on social media as a means to air their grievances.  She also provided support hotlines for people with personal problems.

For her part, Macatangay is urging the public to refrain from sharing unverified information so as not to cause panic.