By CESAR JOLITO III
Authorities declared Silliman University in Dumaguete City safe after an extensive security operation found no explosive devices following a bomb threat sent through email.
Police Captain Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, said law enforcement personnel conducted a thorough inspection of the five locations identified in the threatening email.
The search, which included K9 units and bomb disposal teams, yielded negative results for any explosive devices.
The university was officially declared safe at 10:10 p.m. on Monday, July 6, after authorities completed the security sweep and K9 inspections.
The bomb threat prompted university officials to place the main campus on lockdown at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, while police and other responding agencies secured the area and carried out systematic searches.
The lockdown was lifted only after authorities confirmed there was no threat to public safety.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the email, which was sent to the university’s Information and Communications Technology Division, claimed that explosive devices had been planted at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium, the Senior High School buildings, the third floor of Oriental Hall, the Junior High School, and Channon Hall.
Authorities evacuated individuals inside the campus, diverted traffic around the university, and deployed personnel from the Dumaguete City Police Station, Explosives and Ordnance Division, K9 units of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Army, along with other law enforcement agencies.
Despite the all-clear status, Silliman University suspended all in-person classes yesterday and shifted to online learning as a precautionary measure.
The university also instructed employees to work from home while remaining on standby to perform essential duties and respond to work-related concerns.
Meanwhile, the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office’s Cybercrime Unit is coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation to trace the origin of the threatening email and identify its sender.
Police said security monitoring around the university will continue as the investigation progresses.
Authorities also reminded the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary fear or panic while the investigation remains ongoing./CCJ, WDJ