ILOILO City – City officials have issued a warning to perpetrators behind the wave of bomb threats gripping Iloilo schools: deleting or deactivating an account will not erase one’s digital trail.
Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Public Order and Safety, said authorities now coordinating on the investigation — including the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and even META which is the parent company of popular social media platform Facebook — have the capability to trace online threat actors despite attempts to conceal or erase accounts.
“Authorities can still find you. There were discussions and the involvement of the technical expertise of NTC, DICT, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and META para makita gid naton kun sin-o gid ang sa likod sini,” Cabaluna said in a coordination meeting with police, telecom companies, and schools that recently received bomb scares.
He emphasized that digital footprints, even from supposedly “locked” or deleted profiles, remain identifiable through back-end data accessible to cybercrime agencies.
“The ICPO (Iloilo City Police Office) needs all the help because they admit nga kulang gid sila sang capability. That’s why we want all agencies involved and strengthened by a council resolution,” he added.
Cabaluna said national agencies — including DICT’s Anti-Cybercrime Coordination Center in Cebu — are prepared to assist but require a formal local mandate.
“Importante lang is they (are) pushed by a resolution… nga halin gid diri sa aton,” he noted.
To fast-track the investigation, the City Council approved a resolution urging DICT, NTC, NBI, and META to immediately provide technical support to the ICPO.
Also approved on first reading was Councilor Rudolph Jeffrey Ganzon’s proposed ordinance penalizing those behind bomb threats, following days of class suspensions and crippling traffic disruptions.
DepEd tightens school security
Amid the escalating threats, the Department of Education (DepEd) Iloilo has simultaneously moved to reinforce protection measures in schools across the province.
DepEd Iloilo information officer Leonil Salvilla said the department issued an official communication Tuesday afternoon detailing several requests to bolster campus safety — beginning with enhanced police presence during student drop-off and pick-up times.
Authorities were likewise urged to coordinate closely with school heads and barangay officials for real-time monitoring and faster threat assessments.
DepEd also recommended that schools conduct security inspections and emergency drills with Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) personnel to ensure readiness in the event of an actual emergency.
Salvilla stressed the need for efficient information dissemination to counter public panic and curb misinformation. The department also called for a thorough investigation into the origins and motives of the threats “to identify perpetrators and prevent future incidents.”
‘We are taking this seriously’
Cabaluna underscored that the combined efforts of law enforcement, national cybercrime agencies, and education officials reflect Iloilo’s intensified response to the ongoing threat wave.
“The city is taking these bomb threats seriously,” he said. “Ginatinguhaan sang mga otoridad nga mapadasig ang pag-identify sang yara sa likod sini nga mga pamahog.”/PN
