MANILA, Philippines — Just a week after the tragic school shooting in Tacloban, Leyte, an anonymous Grade 10 student from a public school in Batangas City threatened to shoot at students because of being bullied, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.
The threat was received through the school’s social media page late Sunday night, prompting the management to suspend classes on Monday, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.
“Saksak at baril ko kayo mga Grade 78910. Holan niyo kung kelan aha.hahahaha. Ako ay Grade 10. Binubully niyo ako ha.” and barelan tau bukas, Patay kayo sakin,” the exact post of the student who remains anonymous as of writing.
(I will stab and shoot you Grades 7,8,9 and 10. Guess when? [laughs] I am a Grade 10 [student] You are bullying me, let's shoot each other tomorrow. You will pay.)
“It was read by one of the advisers of the school and tagged as a threatening message… So, they suspended classes. Our police officers went to the school immediately to coordinate with them to check the veracity of this report,” he explained.
Co said the post is now under investigation by the Anti-Cybercrime Group to identify the individual who posted the message who could be using a fictitious name to avoid detection.
Not funny anymore
Co mentioned that certain rumors came out that the threat was just a prank by some students trying to avoid examinations or some just copying the Tacloban shooting.
"Sa unang tingin po talagang maiisip natin na copycat. Pwede pa ngang may nagsasabi, baka meron lang exam na 'di ba, uh, non napuno 'to ng mga bomb threats, etc. na para lang hindi mag-exam, hindi nakapag-aral siguro,” Co said.
(At first glance, we might really think it's a copycat case. Some people might even say that maybe there was just an exam, right? There have been so many bomb threats and similar incidents that were made just to avoid taking an exam—perhaps because someone didn't study.)
“But it's not funny anymore, 'di ba? 'Di na nakakatawa. Nakakalungkot na 'yung ganito, lalo na kung 'yun lang naman ang ano,” Co said.
(But it's not funny anymore, right? It's no longer something to laugh about. It's sad that things have come to this, especially if that's the only reason behind it.)
