ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), in coordination with the Iloilo Doctors’ College, have launched an investigation to trace the source of a recent bomb threat and are considering all possible angles, including the possibility that the sender could be a student.
The bomb threat, which rattled IDC at the height of its examination week, forced the suspension of face-to-face classes early Wednesday, Feb. 18, before authorities declared all campuses safe and classes resumed by afternoon.
The threat, reportedly circulated through an audio recording and chat messages around 5 a.m., prompted school officials to activate emergency protocols and alert local authorities. Initial communication was disseminated to students via messaging platforms before the start of the school day.
As a precautionary measure, the college shifted all classes to online or alternative learning modes and temporarily barred students from entering the premises while security checks were underway.
Personnel from the Iloilo City Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) K9 Unit conducted a nearly two-hour inspection of the campus before declaring the area free of explosives or hazardous materials. By 9:30 a.m., authorities officially cleared the campuses, paving the way for the resumption of face-to-face classes by 1 p.m., including scheduled examinations.
Police Lieutenant Felipe Flores Jr., leader of the City Explosive K9 Unit, confirmed that no explosive device was found during the thorough sweep.
Jose Ma Nelson Cortez, IDC’s Disaster Management Coordinator, expressed gratitude to the Philippine National Police and the EOD team for their swift response.
“We are immensely thankful. Their diligent efforts have allowed us to conclude that everything is secure…The top priority for the administration is ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” Cortez stated. “Pero sige-sige ang monitoring namon.”/PN
