On July 6, 2026, everything went tense as one of my teachers urgently told us that classes were dismissed immediately. They seemed incredibly serious and slightly scared, unlike them. When we were outside our buildings, I asked the guard why we were dismissed earlier than usual, and they said it was for “defogging.” Immediately, I was skeptical, and for the right reasons—our school, alongside three other public schools and one private school, was sent a bomb threat.

A bomb threat is defined as “a threat to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists,” according to IU. If the threat were true, six bombs would be placed in my school, rendering my school in ruins: many deaths, the nearby university affected, and lifelong trauma for those surviving.

In the Presidential Decree No. 1727, a bomb threat is a criminal offense, and when convicted, one can be jailed for no more than five years or a 40,000-peso fine. The sender may reason that they were hacked, but one thing is true: they caused thousands of students to be scared. And I wish nothing but the worst for them.

It was also evident that the bomb threat was suspiciously sent around this time as well. The first summative test of the academic year was scheduled this week, so no wonder the person who'd send the threat was probably a student who wanted to have their tests cancelled. And honestly? I don't know what is going on with the students anymore. A bomb threat—a criminal offense, one that could land you five years in prison—just because you didn't study for a set of tests?

Bomb threats are not a one-way hack to suspend classes at will. It is a terrorist attack—even if you didn't plant any—that terrifies students to even go to school. A school should be a place for learning and socializing, not a place where you should be scared to go because someone didn't want to take a test.

The Frontman