By el Amigo
MANILA — Police arrested two siblings in Lipa City, Batangas, after allegedly tracing violent threats against schools to social media accounts created under aliases, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Region 4A said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said investigators from the Batangas Provincial Police Office and the Anti-Cybercrime Group tracked the accounts and secured a warrant to search the suspects’ electronic devices.
Two cellular phones and a tablet were recovered and allegedly contained evidence linking the suspects to the dummy accounts used to post the threats.
The siblings were charged with alarm and scandal, grave threats and violations of the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, all in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Co said the threats caused concern and panic among students and residents in Lipa.
He warned that individuals who use fake identities online can still be traced by law enforcement.
The PNP said the younger suspect, an 18-year-old student, initially targeted a school where he was enrolled before the threats allegedly expanded to other schools. His older sibling was already employed.
Investigators are now looking into the suspects’ motive, the period when the threats were posted and whether they had the means to carry them out.
“Initially, we were asking for the motive. It’s ongoing, and we are also looking into their capability if ever they would be able to carry out the threats,” Co said.
Initial police findings indicated that the suspects did not have access to firearms or explosives.
The seized devices were turned over for forensic examination, while investigators continue to trace the suspects’ online activities and possible involvement in other incidents reported since August.
Co said the alleged offenses could carry higher penalties when committed through a computer system under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, but emphasized that the suspects’ liability must still be established in court.
