COTABATO CITY — Authorities have launched an investigation into an alleged online threat directed at a student of a school in Cotabato City, prompting city officials to coordinate with national and local law enforcement agencies to identify the person behind the threatening account.
Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao said he immediately coordinated with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO) following the reported online threat.
The mayor said authorities have already secured available evidence and are now working to trace the source of the post and identify the individual responsible. Coordination has also been made with Coland Systems Technology as part of efforts to assist in tracing the digital origin of the threat.
Matabalao stressed that the use of a dummy or anonymous account does not necessarily shield the person responsible from investigation.
He warned that deleting a threatening post or deactivating an account does not automatically erase the digital trail that investigators may use in establishing the identity and activities of the account holder.
“The evidence has already been secured and the investigation is underway,” Matabalao said in a public statement.
The mayor also issued a strong warning to whoever was behind the post, emphasizing that authorities are treating the matter seriously even if the person responsible claims it was merely a prank or joke.
“If this was meant to be a prank, the joke ends here,” Matabalao said.
He added that once the person behind the account is identified and the evidence establishes responsibility, the city government will pursue the appropriate legal action.
The incident underscores the growing concern over online threats involving schools and students, where posts made through social media or anonymous accounts can quickly create fear among students, parents, teachers and the wider community.
Authorities have not publicly identified the school, student, account holder or specific contents of the alleged threat in the information released so far.
The ongoing investigation is expected to determine the authenticity and origin of the threat, identify those responsible and establish whether the circumstances warrant the filing of criminal or other appropriate charges under Philippine law.
Matabalao urged those responsible to understand that online anonymity does not necessarily mean immunity from accountability.
The mayor’s warning was unequivocal: if the post was intended as a joke, the matter would nevertheless be investigated through proper legal channels rather than treated simply as an online prank.