2 nabbed over school threats

CEBU, Philippines — Police have arrested two individuals allegedly involved in online messages threatening school shootings in Cebu City and Bantayan Island, underscoring heightened vigilance by authorities following recent school shooting incidents in Tacloban and Zamboanga.

A 20-year-old Culinary Arts graduate who allegedly posted a shooting threat on TikTok against a private university in Cebu City was arrested on Wednesday, August 19.

The suspect, identified as Clarence Regnier Cerilla, a resident of Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City, was arrested at Purok Mangga, Barangay Altavista, Poro, Camotes Island, following a hot-pursuit operation led by the team of Police Major Jade Campo Sumugat, acting chief of Parian Police Station 1.

Police said Clarence was arrested nearly two days after he allegedly posted a threat in the comment section of a livestream about going to the university and starting a shooting rampage.

The comment allegedly read, “Mag school shooting ko ara ugma.”

A student who saw the post reported it to the Parian Police Station and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Unit, which worked to trace the account and identify the suspect.

Clarence is set to face a complaint for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Police said he was being brought back to Cebu City on Thursday to face the complaint.

In a separate operation, police also arrested a 21-year-old man allegedly responsible for a series of online messages threatening to carry out a shooting at Bantayan National High School-Senior High School.

The suspect, whose identity was withheld by police, was arrested by operatives of the Bantayan Municipal Police Station at about 11:30 a.m. on August 20, 2026.

He is currently under investigation for alleged violations of Grave Threat and Unjust Vexation in relation to Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The alleged threat was reported on August 19 by a staff member of Bantayan National High School-Senior High School. Responding police personnel immediately proceeded to the school at Sitio Bontoy, Barangay Bantigue, to assess the situation, validate the report and ensure the safety of the school community.

According to information provided to police, the messages contained explicit references to a possible shooting at the senior high school in Bantayan Island. In one exchange, the sender reportedly warned another individual to tell the school guard to be more vigilant and to inform fellow students.

The arrests came amid intensified security measures being implemented in schools across Cebu following the recent shooting at a senior high school in Zamboanga that resulted in two fatalities.

Meanwhile, a 14-year-old student at Lut-od National High School in Barangay Lut-od, Pinamungajan, Cebu, was found in possession of a .357 magnum revolver during a surprise bag inspection on Thursday, August 20.

The firearm was discovered when a teacher conducting a surprise inspection of students’ school bags as a precautionary safety measure found it inside the minor’s bag. The school administration immediately sought police assistance, prompting personnel assigned to the school to secure the firearm.

Initial investigation disclosed that the firearm allegedly belonged to the minor’s grandfather and had been kept inside a cabinet at their residence in Purok Santol, Barangay Lut-od. The minor reportedly took the firearm from the cabinet and brought it to school.

The minor’s parents are reportedly working outside the municipality, while the child is presently under the care of his grandparents.- FPL (CEBU NEWS)