ILOILO City – Authorities in Western Visayas are closing in on the individuals behind the surge of bomb threats that have disrupted schools and sowed panic particularly in this city and Iloilo Province, with investigators now armed with cyber warrants and digital evidence supplied by Meta.
What began as scattered incidents earlier this year has escalated into a full-blown regional security concern, prompting a coordinated crackdown by both the Police Regional Office – 6 (PRO-6) and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO). Police say the latest legal and technical breakthroughs could finally unmask the people behind the scares — many of whom hid behind dummy accounts and anonymous mobile numbers.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Josefino Ligan said their investigators are actively tracking several mobile numbers already linked to the threats, although verification of the identities continues.
“We already have numbers connected to these incidents, and we’re working to establish who owns them. Once confirmed, cases will be filed without hesitation,” he said.
Ligan warned perpetrators that the campaign is gaining traction. “We’ve already filed cases, and we will pursue all responsible. This is not something to joke about.”
ICPO director Colonel Kim Legada confirmed that seven of the 20 persons of interest are now covered by court-approved cyber warrants after investigators received data from Meta connected to suspicious social media accounts.
“As of now, we have evidence and data released by Meta, and there are already seven individuals whom we applied cyber warrants for in court for disclosure of data,” Legada said.
He noted that the investigation does not suggest a single mastermind: “We don’t expect only one person or a coordinated group. Based on those arrested, they do not know each other, and the threats are simply being sent to their respective schools.”
The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit has identified around 20 accounts for cyber-warrant application, he added, stressing that each threat — hoax or not — forces schools to suspend classes, evacuate students, and mobilize bomb squads and emergency responders.
From January to November 2025, PRO-6 recorded 73 bomb threats across Western Visayas, with more than 30 reported in November alone. Two individuals — one from Iloilo City and another from Iloilo Province — have already been charged.
Ligan reiterated the agency’s uncompromising stance.
“Warning to those who will send threats. We will go after you. We have the capability to go after you. Do not make this a laughing matter,” he said.
He underscored the broader danger such hoaxes pose: “This is a serious matter. Even if no actual explosive devices were found, these threats disrupt communities and endanger the public.” /PN
