PNP warns ‘school threat’ message perpetrators: ‘We will find you’

Personnel from the Philippine National Police, students and faculty members of Manila Science High School in Ermita, Manila join the country’s first drill against a possible school shooter on July 15, 2026. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / INQUIRER.net) MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it will not stop until the perpetrators of the online messages containing threats against students’ lives are traced and caught. PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co made the promise after text messages began circulating in the chat groups of students and parents on Sunday evening. The messages claimed that a group would supposedly target specific schools in Metro Manila as well as the provinces of Bataan, Rizal and Quezon. Article continues after this advertisement “For those who are, those who make such threats, we will find you, we will be able to trace you, and we will file the necessary charges or we will do all the legal actions available to us against you,” Co emphasized in a press briefing. When asked if the PNP is working directly with Meta to identify the individuals involved in the messages, Co said, “These are part of our operational security.” “Rest assured that we are doing everything to trace these people,” Co added. READ: Pasig cops debunk alleged school threats, probe source of rumors According to Co, the PNP treats any threat messages “seriously” and it will “immediately” deploy officers on the ground to verify them. Article continues after this advertisement “Hopefully, it’s a fake threat or prank. But we cannot afford to ignore it,” Co told repoters. “So, we will definitely send our police officers to look into the situation there – whether the threat is serious… Is there a threat being raised? Is there anything that might happen to those schools?” he wondered. Article continues after this advertisement READ: PNP looks into 2 perpetrators in pro-Marcos vlogger’s slay Meanwhile, Co said that if the messages are only sent as a form of “prank,” it will be a waste of the government resources that could, instead, be used for important matters. “Like our police, if they are deployed there to investigate, that means they aren’t on the streets or following up on other cases,” he explained. “But again, all threats like that, of course, we treat them seriously, and we do not discount it, and we will check them,” he said. On the other hand, Co said school officials have the prerogative to suspend classes after receiving threat messages. —With a report from Rendell Ivan Manuel / INQUIRER.net trainee Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.