By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA
The discovery of one live round of ammunition of still undetermined caliber with accompanying handwritten notes inside the senior high school building of the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos (UNO-R) triggered the suspension of classes at the university around noon yesterday.
“As a precautionary measure, students were dismissed early to safely facilitate security protocols,” Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya said in a statement.
“To dispel circulating rumors and prevent unnecessary panic, there was no bomb threat and no shooting incident occurred,” he added.
Moreover, the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) is now conducting a thorough investigation into said incident.
PRO-NIR spokesperson Lt. Colonel Joem Malong said students discovered the ammunition with a handwritten note saying, “Halong gid kamo subong kay pamatyon ta kamo nga mga bully kamo!”
Police Station 6 operatives immediately conducted an ocular inspection and coordinated with the school administration to secure the area.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit was requested to examine the recovered bullet.
The contents of the written notes are also subjected to appropriate evaluation.
Nevertheless, police remain vigilant and continue to work closely to determine who left the bullet and a note.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) responded immediately to secure the UNO-R premises and conduct a thorough investigation alongside school administrators to determine the origin, circumstances and intent behind the recovered items.
The BCPO also assured that the situation is under control.
“We treat all security matters with the highest level of gravity and maintain an absolute commitment to the safety of our educational institutions,” Gasataya said.
“We strongly urge Bacolodnons to remain calm, rely solely on verified facts, and allow law enforcement to perform its duties without interference. We remain in constant coordination with the BCPO to ensure the safety and security of the university community,” Gasataya said.
PRO-NIR assured the public that there is no confirmed threat at this time beyond the isolated discovery of the recovered items.
“We encourage everyone to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and continue reporting any suspicious objects or activities to the nearest police station or through SAFE NIR Dial 911,” PRO-NIR Director Brigadier General Romano Cardiño said.
PRO-NIR reminded the public that any unattended suspicious object, ammunition, explosive material, or threatening message should never be handled unnecessarily.
Instead, it should be reported immediately to authorities so that appropriate safety protocols can be implemented./MAP, WDJ