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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 22 June)—A bomb scare disrupted classes at the Sta. Ana Elementary School in Poblacion District here Thursday morning, local authorities said.
Capt. Hazel Tuazon, spokesperson for Davao City Police Office, said in a text message that the Sta. Ana Police Station received a phone call around 10:10 a.m. that a bomb exploded inside the school at 10:10 a.m. She said the school was cleared of threat at 12:45 p.m. or after almost three hours. Col. Darren Comia, Task Force Davao commander, in an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), said that it remains unclear how the threat started but added that the authorities are trying to determine the origin of the threat, which caused panic among the teachers, students, and parents in school. “There is a bomb threat but we are still trying to trace the origin. The security forces are doing their best to get the situation back to normal [in the school]. We are doing our best to trace whoever is responsible for spreading this, and we will file a case once we capture them,” he said. He urged the public to avoid spreading bomb threats that would cause panic to the public. He said authorities are strictly enforcing the law penalizing individuals spreading bomb threat or joke. Presidential Decree 1727 declares as “unlawful the malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives or any similar device or means of destruction.” Section 1 states that any person who violated the law will be subject to five years of imprisonment, or a fine of not more than P40,000 or both. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)