MANILA — Authorities moved swiftly to prevent a suspected copycat attack at a Leyte high school after tracking down a student who allegedly posted threats of a mass shooting or stabbing on social media, prompting the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to urge the public to immediately report similar threats.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said police acted immediately after Sen. Bam Aquino informed him Wednesday night of reports circulating in Tacloban City about another possible school attack, only days after the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School.
Investigators traced the alleged threat to a 14-year-old Grade 10 student of Tolosa National High School whose Facebook posts reportedly suggested plans to carry out a mass shooting or stabbing.
One of the posts, written in the local dialect, roughly translated to: “You owe me. Get ready, I will disrupt the school… Be prepared for whoever gets stabbed or shot. We don’t care. Good luck to you.”
Police immediately proceeded to the student’s residence after discovering the online posts.
“Sinabi niya, nag-post na siya na may mangyayari [sa school]. Noong nalaman namin, inaktuhan agad namin,” Remulla said.
Authorities found that the student had allegedly created multiple Facebook accounts to spread the threatening messages, which quickly circulated online and triggered concern among students, parents, and the community.
Remulla said the student later deleted the posts and the accounts, and initially refused to cooperate with investigators out of fear of the consequences. He added that the student’s parents also declined to provide information during the investigation.
Police are investigating “personal and family issues” as the possible motive behind the alleged threat.
Quoting the police report, Remulla said, “Following engagement with her family and along with investigation results, the threat appears to be neutralized and inactive. No evidence of an organized plan or involvement of others was found and neither [the student] nor her family had access to firearms.”
“It is possible that she was influenced by a recent shooting at San Jose National High School,” he added.
Earlier this week, two minors aged 14 and 15 allegedly opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and injuring about 20 others.
Following the latest incident, Remulla appealed to the public to promptly report any threats of school violence through the national 911 emergency hotline as authorities continue to tighten security in schools nationwide./PN
