TACLOBAN CITY – Just a week since classes resumed after a fatal mass shooting inside the campus, officials of San Jose National High School suspended classes again for a day on Tuesday due to another threat of violence that went viral on social media.

The SJNHS, in a post on Facebook, said the suspension of classes on 14 July is “for everyone’s safety.”

The post, which went viral, is a screenshot of a private message sent to an SJNHS learner from an account named JM Magallanes, in which he said he would be shooting students in Grades 7 and 8.

The post implied that he is taking orders from “Nash”, the younger of the two students who went on a shooting spree on 22 June. He also named 11 individuals who are supposed to be the targets of the shooting.

Tacloban City Schools Division Superintendent Sherlita Palma said her office immediately established coordination and security protocols with the Tacloban City Police Office and the city government.

She said the TCPO deployed additional police personnel to increase security presence in and around the school. The barangay also deployed barangay tanods in the school to strengthen the safety and security of learners and personnel.

Palma said the PNP is now conducting an investigation to determine the source, authenticity, and circumstances surrounding the reported threat. She clarified that the identity of the individual or individuals responsible, as well as the veracity of the information being circulated, has not yet been established.

Palma added that the shift to blended learning is a precautionary measure while appropriate security assessments and investigative activities continue.

“This decision was made solely out of an abundance of caution and reflects the Division's firm commitment to prioritizing the safety, security, and well-being of learners, teachers, and school personnel,” she said in a statement.

She said her office strongly condemns any act, whether real or fabricated, that causes fear, disrupts the learning environment, or threatens the safety and well-being of members of the school community.

“Such incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness, and the Division will continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that appropriate legal processes are allowed to take their course,” she stated.