UST targeted by online bomb threat
Police declared the University of Santo Tomas (UST) clear of explosives Friday morning after an online bomb threat targeted several buildings on the Sampaloc campus.
The Manila Police District (MPD) Station 14 received a report at 8:31 a.m. regarding a threat sent via Facebook Messenger to the Physical Therapy Society, based in the Dean’s Office of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences inside the St. Martin de Porres Building along España Boulevard.
The message, sent by an account under the name “TigerTiger,” claimed that an individual overheard a plot in a central library restroom to detonate explosives on Friday at the main building, the medical building, and the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building, while also making mention of a potential shooting.
The MPD District Explosives and Canine Unit deployed an EOD and K-9 team to conduct a sweep and paneling operation across the specified locations.
Authorities officially declared the area cleared at 11 a.m. after finding no explosive devices or hazardous materials.
Meantime, MPD spokesperson Maj. Philipp Ines warned that law enforcement will track down those responsible for recent bomb hoaxes across the city, noting that parents or legal guardians will face legal accountability if the perpetrators are minors.
Ines noted that making bomb threats or jokes is a serious criminal offense under Presidential Decree No. 1727, also known as the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, which carries penalties of up to five years imprisonment, a fine of P40,000, or both.
“We do not shrug this off. We do not disregard these threats because the safety of teachers and students is paramount,” Ines said.
He added that investigators are looking into whether the messages are being sent by students seeking class suspensions.
Ines urged school administrators to cooperate fully with police investigations and appealed to students to report relevant information, assuring that all tips will remain confidential.
The incident marks the third bomb threat reported at a university in Manila since 20 October following similar incidents reported at the University of the East and De La Salle University.