Students, parents, and the administration of San Beda University in Taytay, Rizal were alarmed after a netizen left a bomb joke in the comment section of a Facebook post on Sunday, 19 July.

“Bombahin na itong SBC Rizal. Hehe,” according to a comment by an individual using the alias Juan Miguel Rodriguez on the Facebook page of student group PULA.

Due to the potential security threat, the university's security officer-in-charge, identified only by the alias Roel, did not let the matter pass and immediately sought assistance from the Taytay Municipal Police Station.

Authorities immediately launched a paneling operation to sweep the entire school facility on Havila Main Road in Barangay San Juan to ensure that there were no traps or actual bombs in the area.

The police reminded the public that making bomb jokes or spreading false information regarding a bomb is a serious crime.

Investigators are currently taking the necessary legal steps to identify and hold the suspect accountable under Presidential Decree No. 1727, or the Anti-Bomb Joke/Threat Law, which imposes severe penalties of imprisonment and fines on violators.