Iloilo: Authorities say there is still no concrete evidence linking the 15-year-old public high school student to the series of bomb threats in the city, even as the minor was taken into custody on Thursday evening after a classmate reported seeing him copy the threats being sent to other schools before forwarding one to his own school, Fort San Pedro National High School.

According to Philippines News Agency, "Initially, based on the latest investigation, it could not be established that it was coordinated with other threat messages that were sent to other schools," Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) spokesperson Maj. Shella Mae Sangrines said in an interview on Friday. The minor was released to his family on Thursday evening, but will have to undergo processing by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

"Since he is 15 years old, it is with the disposition of our social worker; the custody was only temporary with the police," Sangrines said. The CSWDO will determine the background of the child and if he was aware or has discernment of what he did. They will also determine the underlying circumstances for his sending the bomb joke message.

"On the part of the police, especially the WCPD (Women and Children Protection Desk), we respect and wait for their disposition on the case," she added. Since last week, the ICPO has recorded 37 bomb threat incidents involving schools and one establishment.

Meanwhile, Mayor Raisa Tre±as on Friday called for an emergency meeting with mall administrators and school heads amid the series of bomb threats. During the meeting, the mayor recommended that there be a protocol in schools and establishments, especially since the Christmas season is fast approaching. She also ordered an intensified security visibility, entry monitoring, and emergency response drills.