The police got hold of a familiar text message citing “intelligence reports on four women from Basilan planning suicide bombing” in this city. Similar texts were sent over a month ago to other schools, but were dismissed by the police as hoax, but only after bomb experts inspected thoroughly the cited targets.
The latest such text identified another two targets, namely Jocson College near the main gate of Clark Freeport and Systems Plus College in busy Balibago commercial district here.
Police said the text terrorists, as the still mysterious senders have come to be locally known, again used the same wordings on the alleged intelligence reports on the four Basilan women out for a suicide bombing, changing only the targets and dates. The text was sent to students who were alarmed and passed them on, probers said.
In Jocson College, security guard Joselito Navarro of Siosa Security Agency said cops from Station 4 arrived at about 8 a.m. but left 30 minutes later. While no bomb was found, school authorities suspended classes at the elementary and high school levels. College students, however, attended classes.
At Systems Plus College, classes went on but only after police inspected the campus and assured school authorities there was no danger.
The city police has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to track down the identity or identities of the text terrorists.
