ABUCAY, Bataan: Public elementary and secondary schools in 11 towns and a city in Bataan were temporarily closed and vacated for police inspection due to a bomb threat received by the provincial office of the Department of Education.
Starting at 11:00 in the morning, school children from the Samal South Elementary School in Barangay Sta. Lucia and the Samal North Elementary School in Barangay San Juan were seen quietly leaving their school premises.
“Nag-advice kasi ang school division superintendent na may bomb threat sa Bataan at isa ang departamento namin ang binantaan so nag-decidde siya na mag-half day na lang ang mga bata ngayon at asynchronous na lang kami mamayang hapon,” Samal district supervisor Elma Dizon said.
“So, hindi na papasok ang mga bata mamayang hapon at magmomodular na lang sila. I-close muna ang school actually pina-check na sa PNP at umikot na ang PNP sa bawat schools so mag-close muna kami nitong afternoon session,” she added.
Dizon said so far there was nothing unusual and she thinks the school is safe. It was learned that some private schools in Bataan also cancelled their afternoon classes.
DepEd provincial head schools division superintendent Carolina Violeta said their information technology officer received through the mail of the bomb threat that will explode at 3:35 p.m. this Monday.
“Sa tulong din ng ating assistant schools divisions superintendent ay ininform natin ang mga nasa field. Inuna natin syempre ang kapakanan ng ating mga learners, mga teachers kaya through our group chat ay nagbigay kami ng instructions na this afternoon ay hindi na babalik ang mga learners sa school kundi magkakaroon sila ng asynchronous learning,” Violeta said.
“Ang mga teachers natin at empleyado ay work from home ang arrangement, siguro until today kung ma-declare na safe na ng ating mga friends from PNP, NBI at bomb squad natin ay magiging normal na din ang pasok bukas,” the superintendent said.
Violeta said that 212 public elementary and secondary schools in 11 towns in Bataan are affected by the temporary closure. Balanga City has a separate schools division. City schools were also ordered temporarily closed.
“Bilin natin sa mga school principals na bago sila umalis ay magbigay sila ng status doon sa physical inspection na ginawa nila for example may makikita silang mga bags, mga packages, mga boxes. Huwag nilang gagalawin at ireport sa proper authorities so meron na din nagsubmit ng mga report na negative,” she said.
Violeta said that the division office in Abucay is presently being inspected by police bomb squad with the assistance of K-9 dogs. “Negative naman.”
“Ang panawagan natin sa mga parents natin ay hwag kayong mag-panic sapagkat lagi pong priority ang kaligtasan ng ating mag-aaral kaya nagagawa kami ng ganitong instruction na minabuti muna natin na mag- stay ang mga bata sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan. Umasa kayo mga mahal naming magulang na lagi naming pangangalagaan ang inyong mga anak,” Violeta concluded.
Abucay police chief Maj. Jonathan Mostoles said that he received the report on the bomb threat Monday morning and immediately dispatched a police team and coordinated with the DepEd.
“Sa kasalukuyan ay tuloy-tuloy ang imbestigasyon natin tungkol sa insidenteng ito. Nandito na din ang ating mga K9 na tumutulong magpanelling ng mga schools para masiguro natin na safe ang nago-opisina sa building na ito,” Mostoles said.
