Bais city: Two schools in Bais City, Negros Oriental suspended classes on Wednesday after separate threats circulated through social media and text messages, police said. Capt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police, stated that the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) - Bais campus and the Bais National High School evacuated students, teachers, and other personnel as a precaution.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Bais City Police, in collaboration with the local government and school administrators, conducted verification and deployed field training personnel or police recruits to the campuses. Polinar clarified that these police recruits, who are still in training before their permanent appointments, do not carry issued firearms.
Students had already arrived at the schools when police received information about the purported threats. At NORSU-Bais, a Facebook post claimed that a student planned to harm a teacher and some classmates, who were allegedly considered 'sipsip' (teacher's pets), after failing three subjects. Polinar mentioned that the account appeared to be fictitious, but police are coordinating with the Negros Oriental Police's Cyber Crime Unit to trace its owner.
Simultaneously, a report that a male Grade 7 student of the Bais National High School was carrying a firearm inside the campus was proven false. Police found no firearm, gun, or toy in the student's possession.
In Bayawan City, police also issued a warning to individuals who reposted a private message circulating on Tuesday evening. The message advised people not to attend school the following day due to an alleged shooting threat at a senior high school institution in the city. Polinar stated that police have identified at least two individuals who publicly shared the message, which has since been deleted.
He urged the public to verify information before sharing it, especially posts that could incite fear or panic. He warned that spreading unverified information that creates fear and panic may constitute an offense and could be a basis for filing a complaint against those responsible.
