Photos by Earl Acuña and Rowell Andrei Regalado
CITY OF MALOLOS—A second bomb threat has shutdown the Bulacan State University (BSU) on Friday (Oct. 5), it was the second time this week that midterm examinations have been disrupted at its Malolos main campus and its campus in Bustos town.
Personnel from the police bomb disposal unit conducted a search of the school buildings but found no evidence of explosives. The first threat was sent through a text message on Monday (Oct. 1).
The latest threat, which was transmitted by a text message to students and faculty members at 10:15 a.m., warned: “Monday’s bomb threat is just a drill, this one is real. Goodbye Bulacan State University Malolos and Bustos Campus. This is the very last time I’m warning you. 5 bombs will explode today. Good luck (sic).”
BSU President Cecilia Gascon said the facility may simply ignore similar pranks in the future.
Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police director, said the police can conduct search operations without disrupting classes.
Bersaluna said they have already forwarded the telephone number used by the prankster on Monday to the Police Anti-Cyber Crime Division in Camp Crame for forensic examination.
They can study details such as the preferred words used as well as the common spelling mistakes in both messages, he said.
The disruptions have affected more than 30,000 students enrolled at the Malolos campus.
According to a Facebook post by The Communiqué, the official student publication of the university’s College of Arts and Letters, students from different colleges received text messages warning of the threat.
This was confirmed by the University President’s Communications Office.
The University President’s Communications Office added that the administration advised students and faculty to leave the university premises for safety reason.
In its official statement on Facebook, it said that a “thorough inspection was conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) SWAT Explosive Division and the University Security Group to sweep the grounds and buildings.”
The university was declared safe by 1:30 p.m. after completing the necessary procedures and classes will resume on Saturday, October 6, the statement noted. /muf