TACLOBAN CITY — Education and police authorities in Northern Samar and Leyte have stepped up security measures in schools following circulating social media posts containing alleged threats, coming days after the deadly June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that killed three students and injured 20 others.
The incident has heightened public concern over school safety across Eastern Visayas, prompting local authorities to intensify monitoring, validate online reports, and strengthen coordination with school officials and law enforcement agencies.
In Allen, Northern Samar, the Allen Municipal Police Station (MPS) immediately coordinated with the administration of Allen National High School after receiving information about a social media post claiming a possible threat within the school campus.
Allen MPS Acting Chief of Police, Police Captain Verna Cesista, said police conducted validation and worked closely with school principal Reynaldo Banjawan to assess the credibility of the report.
Authorities later confirmed that no imminent threat was found against students, teachers, or school personnel, and assured the public that the school remains safe. However, police said they will maintain heightened monitoring and visibility within and around the campus as a precautionary measure.
The Allen MPS also reminded the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities directly to authorities, warning that the spread of false information and the posting of threats on social media may lead to legal consequences.
Meanwhile, the Schools Division of Leyte issued a similar advisory after unverified online posts claimed that Palo National High School and Palo I Central School could be potential targets of violence following the Tacloban shooting incident.
While the division stressed that there is no confirmed or validated information supporting the alleged threats, it said all reports involving school security are being treated with utmost seriousness.
As part of its response, the Schools Division requested assistance from the Palo Municipal Police Station to increase police visibility in both schools, coordinated with barangay officials to strengthen community-based security efforts, and sought the support of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to help trace the source of the circulating messages and verify their authenticity.
School administrators were also directed to strictly enforce campus security protocols, regulate entry and exit points, monitor school grounds, and immediately report suspicious activities to authorities.
The division acknowledged limited security personnel in some schools but assured that coordination with local government units and partner agencies is ongoing to reinforce protective measures.
Both the Allen MPS and the Schools Division of Leyte urged the public to remain calm, avoid sharing unverified information, and promptly report credible threats to proper authorities to prevent panic and misinformation in communities.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
