Bomb scare hits Marikina elementary school

MANILA, Philippines—Tension gripped a public school in Marikina City early Tuesday due to a bomb scare.

Students, teachers and other employees were told to vacate the area as bomb experts searched the four-storey building of the Nangka Elementary School in Barangay (village) Nangka in Marikina.

But the situation is now back to normal after the experts declared there was no bomb inside the school. Classes in the morning were not resumed, but afternoon classes will be held as scheduled, school officials said.

Senior Police Officer 4 Ricardo Mendoza, Marikina Police Community Precinct 10 officer-in-charge, said in a phone interview that bomb experts cleared the area at 9:50 a.m.

Mendoza said that based on their investigation, an unidentified woman told Benito Felicio, the school’s guard, that there was a bomb inside the school at around 8:35 a.m.

Apparently, one of the people still gathered at the gate overheard the woman’s claim and began spreading the word around, causing panic among some parents and eventually school officials.

Mendoza also said some parents picked up their sons and daughters, while those whose guardians haven’t arrived, were made to stay at a covered court just in front of the school.

Pacita Grimaldo, village desk officer, said students without guardians were assisted by police and village officials on their way home.

She also said the police station was only alerted by a concerned citizen.