CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Coordinated police operation led to the arrest of an 18-year-old suspect allegedly behind a series of online bomb threats targeting several public and private schools in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.
Posted online, the bomb threats were discovered on July 20 and 21, 2026, causing concern among students, parents, school officials, and the community. Acting on the reports, police immediately launched a follow-up operation that validated the perpetrator’s identity, and intelligence-driven work enabling to locate and arrest the suspect within hours.
Joint operatives of the San Ildefonso Municipal Police Station (MPS) of the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, in coordination with the Talavera MPS and Jaen MPS under the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office tracked down the suspect at about 6:29 p.m. on July 21, in Barangay Hilera, Jaen, Nueva Ecija and was arrested for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1727 (Anti-Bomb Joke Law) and Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
Recovered during the operation was a cellular phone, believed to have been used in the commission of the offense. The suspect and the recovered evidence were brought to the San Ildefonso MPS for documentation and further investigation. The seized mobile phone will undergo technical and forensic examination by the Provincial Anti-Cybercrime Unit as part of the ongoing case build-up.
Commending the operating units, Police Regional Office 3 director BGen. Jess B. Mendez said: “Hindi biro ang bomb threat. Isang post lang online puwedeng magdulot ng takot, pagkaantala ng klase, at malaking deployment ng police at emergency responders. Kaya sa PRO3, we treat every bomb threat as real hanggang mapatunayan na hindi ito totoo. Sa mga nag-iisip na gawin ito bilang prank o para mag-viral, tandaan ninyo—may kaakibat itong pananagutang kriminal.”
“Ang mabilis na pagkilos ng ating mga kapulisan ay patunay ng ating pangako na magbigay ng Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat at Nararamdaman. Hindi lamang tayo agad tumutugon sa mga banta, kundi sinisiguro rin nating mananagot ang sinumang gagamit ng teknolohiya para maghasik ng takot sa ating mga paaralan at komunidad,” he added.
The Police Regional Office 3 likewise called on parents, schools, and the public to promote the responsible use of social media and immediately report online threats or suspicious activities to the nearest police station, reaffirming its commitment to keeping schools and communities safe through proactive law enforcement and strong community partnership. Punto News Team/PRO-3
