Education Secretary Sonny Angara commended the Philippine National Police for its swift arrest of individuals behind online school threat hoaxes.
‘Thank you to the PNP and our security sector for the quick action to identify and hold responsible those who spread online threats to our schools. This is in line with the directive of President Bongbong Marcos to make sure that our students and teachers are safe and protected in every part of the country,’ Angara said in Filipino in a statement issued by the Department of Education on Monday.
Angara emphasized that disruptive online pranks carry legal and administrative penalties.
‘We should not allow the learning of our youth to be interrupted because of a bad joke or threats. We need the help of every parent, teacher, and the whole nation to guide and protect our students,’ he said.
The DepEd statement cited recent police operations that led to criminal proceedings in several provinces.
In Magalang, Pampanga, police took seven 15-year-old students before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor for inquest proceedings over a social media post threatening to harm students at Tinajero National High School Annex. In Jaen, Nueva Ecija, Joint police operations led to the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect for circulating online bomb threats against multiple public and private schools in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.
Also in Nueva Ecija, police arrested another 18-year-old student who admitted to posting a hoax threat aimed at suspending classes at San Felipe Integrated School.
In Tanza, Cavite, law enforcers served a warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data against a woman in Barangay Paradahan I following an online threat aimed at a local school.
Officers seized 16 digital devices for examination in connection with violations of Article 282 (Grave Threats) of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 101750.
Other sanctions
Beyond criminal liabilities under the Anti-Bomb Joke Law (Presidential Decree No. 1727) and Republic Act No. 10175, the Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated that its initiatives to address school-related concerns are heavily focused on prevention.
Under DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE), bomb threats and bomb jokes are classified as third-level offenses due to the grave risk they pose to safety and learning continuity.
A first infraction results in non-readmission and referral to appropriate government interventions, while a second infraction carries the penalty of exclusion, referral to the proper authorities, and necessary interventions.
Spreading false reports or fake news that create confusion is classified as a first-level offense, subject to written reprimand, official parent conferences, or administrative measures.
DepEd is also strengthening its Active Human-induced Threats protocol to ensure school readiness and effective response during emergency incidents.
The department urges parents, educators, and the public to promote responsible digital citizenship among the youth and to immediately report any suspicious online activity or security threats to school authorities or emergency services through Hotline 911. /atm