Schools urged: Stop class suspensions

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak has urged schools to stop suspending classes in response to unverified threats and instead strengthen their internal safety and security measures, warning that closures only magnify fear among parents, traumatize students, and embolden suspects.

Tumulak, who also chairs the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, made the appeal as nearly 20 schools in Cebu City have reported receiving threats traced to minors misusing social media.

“Suspending classes will add more fear sa mga parents, trauma sa mga bata, and for those suspect, magkatawa lang sila sa ilang gihimo,” Tumulak said, stressing that schools should keep lessons running while fortifying their own protocols.

He emphasized that unnecessary suspensions also drain government resources, with police, ambulances, and paramedics repeatedly deployed to respond to hoaxes.

The councilor’s recommendation follows a string of incidents that have unsettled Cebu’s education sector.

In August, several public schools in mountain barangays received bomb and shooting hoaxes, prompting parents to rush to campuses and forcing precautionary suspensions.

Police later confirmed that the threats were fabricated and were often traced to minors using fake accounts.

The Department of Education in Central Visayas has since reminded schools to follow strict protocols in handling threats, while Mayor Nestor Archival ordered disaster response units and police to assist campuses.

Investigations revealed that most suspects are minors, often identified with the help of classmates.

Public schools follow protocols that limit punitive measures, typically requiring apologies rather than legal sanctions.

While some parents have voluntarily transferred their children once they were implicated, according to Tumulak, the names of suspects had mostly been withheld to avoid bullying and further trauma.

He added that the threats, mostly issued by male students, were often made “just for fun” or as diversions, although some stemmed from family problems or emotional distress.

Tumulak discouraged the spread of alarming posts online, particularly during exam season, noting that parents are especially vulnerable to trauma when they see such threats.

“Please minimize spreading it through social media, especially sa mga estudyante,” he said.

His strongest message was directed at schools and parents: cooperate, strengthen security, and stop spreading fear.

“Please stop it. Please stop it kay dili ni makaayo sa atong mga estudyante and sa Cebu City,” he appealed directly to those behind the threats.

For the police, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 has conducted 1,670 visibility efforts in schools and educational institutions across Central Visayas since June 23 as part of its intensified efforts to strengthen campus security.

The operations included police visibility, beat patrols, school visits, and dialogues with students, parents, and school officials to deter threats and criminal activities within and around school premises.

PRO-7 said the initiative also aims to reinforce security protocols, emergency procedures, and school policies while addressing concerns affecting the school community.

Beat patrols have been strategically deployed around schools, particularly during class hours, to help prevent crime and ensure an immediate police response during emergencies.

Police personnel have also been engaging school officials, parents, and students to promote the early reporting of threats, bullying, suspicious activities, and other security concerns.

The regional police office continues to encourage the public to use the Unified Emergency Hotline 911 to report emergencies and incidents requiring immediate police assistance.

PRO-7 Regional Director PBGen Arnold E. Abad has directed police units across Central Visayas to maintain close coordination with school authorities and respond promptly to concerns raised by the school community.

The regional police office said the initiative complements the Philippine National Police's security measures while reinforcing the shared responsibility of law enforcement agencies, schools, families, and communities in keeping learning environments safe. (CEBU NEWS)