Consolacion Mayor Teresa "Nene" Alegado will ask the municipal council to study potential regulations on cellphone use among minors following an online shooting threat that suspended classes in five schools on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.
Investigators traced the threat to a TikTok account using the display name "Charlie Kirk," which police believe was retaliation after teachers confiscated student cellphones the previous week.
Following the discovery of no immediate physical threat, municipal officials announced that regular classes would resume on Tuesday, Aug. 4, with continued security deployment across school perimeters.
CONSOLACION Mayor Teresa "Nene" Alegado will ask the municipal council to study potential regulations on cellphone use among minors. The move comes after an online shooting threat forced five local schools to suspend face-to-face classes on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.
The proposal arrives as schools across the country deal with a rise in online bomb and shooting threats following a fatal campus shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026.
"I will advise the legislative department to study what is very applicable at this point in time, realistic in our situation," Mayor Alegado said during the provincial Agri-Fishery Trade Fair on Monday. She noted that the council will review options before drafting any official ordinance.
Schools suspended over TikTok threat
The local government temporarily suspended in-person classes across several campuses as a precaution:
Consolacion National High School
San Narciso School
Tayud National High School and Elementary School
Tolotolo National High School and Elementary School
Tugbongan National High School and Elementary School
According to the Consolacion Public Information Office, investigators traced the threat to a TikTok account using the display name "Charlie Kirk," which sent threatening messages to a local student. Police believe the post may have been created in retaliation after teachers confiscated student cellphones the previous week.
The Consolacion Municipal Police Station is currently working with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to run digital forensics, trace the account's IP address, and identify the owner. Police, Swat personnel, and cybercrime specialists were deployed to secure school grounds.
Parental involvement
Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Senen Paulin stated that the Department of Education Cebu Province was notified of the threats through district supervisors, leading to the immediate police investigation. DepEd continues to coordinate with law enforcement and local officials.
Mayor Alegado stressed that police efforts alone will not solve the issue.
"This is holistic. This involves the entire family. We have to educate the family as well," Alegado said. She encouraged parents to monitor their children's online activity, learn the risks of digital devices, and assess whether their children are ready to handle cellphones.
Classes resume with security in place
After finding no immediate physical threat, municipal officials announced that regular classes would resume on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Police officers, Swat teams, and barangay tanods will remain on site to secure school perimeters. Mayor Alegado urged the public to stop sharing unverified social media posts and screenshots that cause unnecessary fear.
In nearby Talisay City, Mayor Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas said police are verifying similar online threats against local public schools. While Talisay did not order a city-wide suspension because no credible threat was found, Gullas supported individual schools that paused classes as a safety precaution.