Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Dave Tumulak urged Cebu City schools to assess the credibility and level of risk of reported threats before suspending classes.
Authorities are investigating a series of threats reportedly received by nearly 20 schools in Cebu City on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, with some individuals admitting to making the threats "just for fun."
Tumulak appealed to the public and students to refrain from spreading unverified information on social media to prevent causing unnecessary alarm.
CEBU City schools should coordinate with authorities and assess the credibility and level of risk of reported threats before suspending classes, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) head Dave Tumulak said.
Tumulak made the call as authorities investigate a series of threats reportedly received by nearly 20 schools in Cebu City, including two schools in Barangay Tisa on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.
He said schools should not automatically cancel classes whenever a threat is reported, as authorities first need to determine whether it poses a genuine security risk.
“It will add more fear to the parents, trauma to the kids and, for the suspect, they will just laugh at what they did,” Tumulak said in an interview Thursday, Sept. 3.
Tumulak stressed, however, that every threat must be taken seriously and may require police and emergency responders to be deployed while authorities determine the level of danger.
Authorities have been working to determine which reports pose an actual security risk and which may have been made as pranks or without the intention of carrying out an attack, Tumulak said.
Tumulak said some reportedly admitted making the threats “just for fun” or as a form of diversion. Information provided by fellow students also helped authorities identify some of those allegedly involved.
He declined to disclose the identities of the minors, saying their identities must be protected from further trauma or bullying.
Some parents have also opted to transfer their children to other schools after their children were identified as being involved in the incidents, Tumulak said.
Beyond security
For Tumulak, the incidents should not be treated solely as a security issue, particularly when minors are involved.
He urged schools to strengthen communication among teachers, guidance counselors, parents and students.
Teachers, he said, are often in a position to notice changes in a student’s behavior and help identify those who may be experiencing problems before these lead to harmful or disruptive actions.
“Intervention should not stop at identifying the person behind a threat,” Tumulak said, stressing that the circumstances surrounding a student’s behavior should also be addressed.
He also appealed to students and the public to refrain from spreading unverified information about the threats on social media.
The rapid circulation of unconfirmed posts and messages can cause unnecessary alarm among students and parents, he said, while excessive attention to threats could encourage others to make similar threats.
He also appealed to those making the threats to stop, saying the incidents disrupt school operations and require government agencies to divert police, ambulance and other emergency resources to security checks.
“Please stop it because this won’t do any good to our students and to Cebu City,” he said. / CAV