Students of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City were sent home early on Thursday, October 1, after a bomb threat was posted on Facebook, prompting police and explosive ordnance personnel to conduct security sweeps around the campus.
The threat was posted on the night of September 30 by a Facebook account using the name “Carlos McGregor.” The post reportedly threatened to send a bomb to the school and shoot Senior High School students, triggering immediate concern among school officials, students, teachers and nearby residents.
School principal Marlon Toyco Coniconde reported the threat to the Labangon Police Station at around 11:40 p.m. on September 30. Police Station 10 responded and conducted an initial inspection of the campus at about 12:30 a.m. on October 1.
A second security sweep was carried out at around 8 a.m. by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 7. Authorities inspected different parts of the campus for any suspicious objects connected to the threat.
The inspections did not uncover any suspicious objects, and the school was declared safe. Despite the findings, school officials decided to send students home as a precaution, prioritizing the safety of learners and personnel while the investigation continued.
The incident caused fear and confusion inside and around the school. Some students were reportedly crying and frightened, while teachers and residents living near the campus also became alarmed as police and security personnel moved through the area.
Evangeline Camomot Alcontin, a resident living directly across from the school, described the situation as distressing for families in the neighborhood. She said she was particularly concerned because her elderly mother and young children were at home during the police operation.
The Philippine National Police Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 7 has taken over the digital investigation into the threat. Preliminary findings indicate that the Facebook account used to post the warning was a dummy profile.
Authorities are now tracing the account’s digital footprint in an effort to identify the person responsible for creating and using the account. Additional police personnel were also deployed around the school as the investigation continued.
The school administration said the safety and welfare of students and school personnel remain its priority. It also appealed to the public to avoid spreading unverified information surrounding the incident while authorities work to establish the facts.
The incident comes months after the same school hosted an emergency preparedness exercise involving police officers, firefighters, medical responders, students and rescue personnel. The June training included a full-scale simulation of a school shooting scenario designed to strengthen responses to high-risk emergencies.
The latest threat has again highlighted the importance of coordinated emergency procedures in schools, particularly when threats are made through social media. In this case, authorities carried out multiple inspections before students were allowed to remain away from the campus as a precaution.
As the cybercrime investigation proceeds, police are working to determine who was behind the dummy account and whether the threat was intended as a hoax or was connected to any actual plan. No suspicious device was found during the security sweeps conducted at the school.
For now, authorities continue to maintain a security presence around Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School while the digital trail is being examined. The incident remains under investigation, with officials urging students, parents and residents to remain calm and rely on verified information.
