ILOILO — Dumangas National High School suspended all face-to-face classes Wednesday, Aug. 5, after a threatening social media post attributed to one of its teachers sparked safety fears among parents, students, and faculty, prompting an investigation by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The suspension shifted students to the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of learning while authorities verified the authenticity of the online threat and investigated reports of a dispute involving two teachers.
“Upon receiving and reviewing the social media posts made late last night, we acted immediately. We assessed the situation and addressed our community’s concerns. We are currently preparing an incident report to be forwarded to the Schools Division Office of Iloilo and have reached out to the Philippine National Police to discuss the ramifications of the post,” said Dr. Leo Abe Abe, officer-in-charge principal of Dumangas National High School.
The school said the suspension of classes was driven by concerns raised by teachers and the Parent-Teacher Association over the safety of learners.
“They expressed genuine concern regarding the potential risk to our learners, which motivated us to shift to an alternative mode of education,” Abe Abe said.
He added: “Gin-send lang sa akon ang screenshot (of the social media posts). Nag-direct dayon kita coordinate sa Division Office to inform them para maka-prepare man kami sang amon nga IR (incident report).”
Police Major Kenn Albert Lepsia, chief of the Dumangas Municipal Police Station, said an ongoing conflict between two teachers may have sparked the controversy.
“Allegedly there is conflict between two teachers. We talked to the principal early morning and indeed na-confirm gid man nga may ara sang conflict. Effective enough and competent man sila nga immediately nag-set sang schedule ang district office and didto i-settle,” said Lepsia.
Lepsia also disclosed that one source claimed the teacher who made the social media post may have been intoxicated.
“Lalaki siya. Intoxicated siya, based on the source, though this is yet to be confirmed,” he added.
The posts, Lepsia further said, were directed at a female colleague. These were the following:
* “Sa buwang ito, may patay sana na guro sa Dumangas National High School! Principal, assistant principal or guro mismo! Mark my words.”
* “Ngayon sagad na ang aking kabutihan!!! Humanda kayong LAHAT sa galit ko!!!”
The Schools Division Office of Iloilo has launched its own inquiry into the incident.
Leonil Selvilla, information officer of the Schools Division Office, said the office has requested an official report from the school and is verifying the authenticity of the Facebook account linked to the alleged threats.
“We can assure everyone that the situation is under control as we work to resolve these issues,” Selvilla said.
The Schools Division Office is also considering the possibility that the Facebook account may have been hacked and is preparing psychosocial support for teachers, students, and other individuals affected by the incident while the investigation continues./PN
