ILOILO CITY: Hours after school authorities suspended classes because of bomb threats they received, police declared the Iloilo Doctors’ College (IDC) premises clear of any explosive device on Wednesday (Feb 18).
Police Lt Felipe Flores Jr., team leader of the City Explosive K9 Unit, said in an interview that the campus is clear of any explosives, but asked authorities to continue monitoring the area as a precaution.
Police conducted a thorough inspection of the school premises following a bomb threat that circulated through an audio message and chat.
After nearly two hours of sweeping operations across campus buildings, the Iloilo City police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) K9 Unit found no bomb or materials that could threaten public safety.
Earlier, security concerns prompted the college to suspend all face-to-face classes, shifting all levels to online or alternative modes of learning on Wednesday.
School officials barred all students from entering the campus until the area was cleared.
Flores said coordination with the local police and the school administration was still ongoing to identify the sender of the threat. He said police were also looking into the possibility that a student could be involved.
With exams ongoing this week, some students speculated that the threat could be a false alarm. Authorities, however, urged the public to report similar incidents to prevent misinformation.
Despite the clearance, IDC said employees were to report for work at 1pm, except for security, maintenance, and buildings and grounds personnel, who were required to remain on duty.
The school administration advised students, faculty, and staff to monitor official channels for further updates as the investigation continues. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
