Negros oriental: The Philippine National Police (PNP) Cyber Crime Unit in Negros Oriental is actively working with the Department of Education (DepEd) to combat the proliferation of malicious social media posts that promote violence within educational settings.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Gaudioso Morte, who leads the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group in the province, recently held a meeting with officials from the Negros Oriental High School (NOHS) and the DepEd Negros Oriental Division. This meeting was prompted by separate social media threats targeting at least three schools, including Negros Oriental State University-Bais Campus, Bais National High School, and NOHS in Dumaguete City.

Morte highlighted the importance of cooperation from teachers and school officials in promptly reporting and preserving information from these threatening posts to aid ongoing investigations. Next week, the PNP plans to offer training on proper internet use, focusing on how to capture URLs and other digital data from threatening social media content.

The training will further address issues of nihilistic violent extremism, aiming to help school officials differentiate between genuine threats, extremist content, and prank posts. Morte emphasized the necessity of quick responses to social media threats, advising school officials to secure URLs, screenshots, and other critical data before harmful posts are removed.

The partnership with the DepEd is intended to enhance the immediate reporting, investigation, and response to online threats, thereby ensuring a safer school environment. Lawyer Marjorie Porcina, officer-in-charge schools division superintendent of DepEd Negros Oriental, has pledged the department's full support and cooperation with the PNP in protecting students, teachers, and school personnel from online threats and harmful content.