Manila:The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has mandated all its units to enhance bomb threat awareness campaigns within Metro Manila schools. The initiative focuses on ensuring coordinated responses, prompt threat assessments, and proper emergency procedures to safeguard students and staff while minimizing disruptions to classes.
According to Philippines News Agency, the directive follows a bomb threat reported on October 23 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) St. Martin de Porres Building, which houses the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, in Manila. The threat was discovered in a letter inside a women's restroom cubicle, leading to class disruptions.
The threat also included other areas such as the Main Building, which hosts the Faculty of Civil Law, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Science, Office of the Rector, and Museum of Arts and Sciences, as well as the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building, home to the Faculty of Arts and Letters and College of Commerce and Business Administration. As a precautionary measure, UST transitioned to remote learning arrangements the following day.
NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano emphasized the importance of swift and systematic actions by schools and authorities when a bomb threat is reported. He directed police units to enhance coordination with school administrators, security personnel, local government units, and emergency responders to ensure the clear understanding and implementation of established protocols.
Abrahano stated that while every bomb threat must be taken seriously, responses should be disciplined, coordinated, and guided by established procedures. He underscored the need for schools to know whom to contact, how to report threats, when to activate emergency measures, and how to collaborate with responding authorities.
The NCRPO chief also highlighted the necessity of clear protocols to protect lives, prevent panic, and avoid unnecessary delays in determining the appropriate response. Awareness campaigns should cover proper threat reporting, immediate coordination with police and emergency responders, orderly evacuations when necessary, securing affected areas, and conducting security assessments before resuming normal school activities.
Additionally, Abrahano reminded school officials and security teams to preserve available evidence and refrain from spreading unverified information that could increase public anxiety.
