Aklan university suspends classes due to bomb threat

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A university in Aklan province suspended its classes on Tuesday after receiving a bomb threat.

In an advisory, the Aklan State University (ASU)- Ibajay Campus said that, “in light of an ongoing bomb threat sent by an unknown individual through a messaging app, Aklan State University hereby announces the suspension of all classes, work, and office transactions in Aklan State University – Ibajay Campus, effective today, January 27, 2026, and until further notice. Official memo will follow.”

Through Messenger, a certain “Mariano Stephen” sent a message to members of the University student council claiming that they planted bombs inside the ASU – Ibajay campus on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

But there was no mention of specific dates.

The sender claimed that the bomb would surely go off once the students are inside the building.

It also mentioned the arrogant drummers.

Mariano Stephen also said good luck to students who will allegedly die.

Members of the Ibajay Municipal Police Station coordinated with school security at around 7 a.m.

They conducted initial search to all ASU Ibajay school buildings and found no dubious items.

School security personnel also claimed to have noticed no suspicious activity inside the school campus.

At around 8:30 a.m., the school campus was declared safe.

Meanwhile, the Messenger account used in sending the hoax bomb threat  was already referred to the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) 6.

It can be noted that the Aklan PNP recorded a bomb threat on Dec. 4, 2025.

But it didn’t take long for them to catch the culprit.

The very same student, a 14-year old boy, who reported the bomb threat at a Kalibo school turned out the same person who made up the hoax message.

The teenager claimed he received the message morning of December 4, the same that he reported the alleged bomb threat at Saint Dominic English School in Barangay Estancia, Kalibo.

It was allegedly sent by Facebook user “Abdul Louise.”

But the account was already deactivated and the student also deleted the message.

However, the boy”s lie came into view after it showed that he screen shot the message evening of December 3.

He eventually admitted to his lies – from making a dummy account, copying and editing the viral hoax comb threats, and sending it to his own personal FB account.

For this year, the Ibajay incident is the fifth hoax bomb threat recorded in Western Visayas.

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 said there were three cases in Aklan and one each in the city and province of Iloilo.