THE Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit in Davao Region (Racu-Davao) has recorded at least 10 reports of online threats against schools in Davao City in the first half of 2026, more than six reports it logged for 2025, team leader Police Captain Cedric Suanco said during a press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on Tuesday.
Suanco said the reports involved various forms of threats of violence against schools, ranging from threats to shoot students to bomb school premises, most of which were traced to Davao City-based devices, though some involved IP addresses from other areas.
He said the reports involved minors and mostly originated from public schools, with grievances ranging from anger at teachers to bullying by classmates.
"Whether the post was made as a joke, out of anger, for attention, or with actual intent to carry it out, such statements must be taken seriously and properly investigated," Suanco said.
He said such posts may be charged under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code, which covers grave threats, with penalties elevated by one degree under Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, when the offense is committed online.
Suanco cited a recent example at Davao City National High School, where a long line of students was seen entering the school under heightened security on August 11 after it received an online shooting threat. He said the situation remained calm despite the threat, calling the police response an effective deterrent.
Suanco said his office continues to see people use fake or "dummy" accounts believing they can avoid liability.
"Dummy accounts are not a shield," he said, noting that Racu-Davao works with online platforms and legal processes to identify account owners despite anonymity efforts.
He urged the public to report threats immediately to the nearest police station, Racu-Davao, or school authorities, and to preserve evidence — including screenshots of the account name, profile URL, date and time, and the exact threatening statement — rather than share or repost the content.
"Do not wait for the threat to become real," Suanco said. "We do not wait for someone to actually shoot, bomb, or hurt someone before we take a threat seriously."
Suanco added that Racu-Davao has also seen a continued stream of hacked social media accounts, mostly through phishing links, though the volume has declined compared to last year — from an estimated peak of four cases a day in 2025 to occasional cases now, with online scams and libel complaints becoming more common. GRS
