OPINION: Campus bomb threats no longer scare or surprise me — and I hate it

I don’t want to reach a point where I dismiss a threat simply because I have heard one too many times.

The first time I experienced a bomb threat at school, I was surprised by how I reacted. I did not panic. My heartbeat remained steady, and I felt no immediate urge to run. Looking back, that calmness unsettles me more than I expected.

I arrived at my classroom, unaware that a bomb threat had been reported on campus. I took my usual seat, thinking it was just another ordinary school day. Then, my friend casually asked, “May nakita ka bang mga pulis sa Palma? May bomb threat daw, e.”

For a moment, I was surprised. But instead of feeling afraid, I found myself doubting the news. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just another false alarm. I barely had time to process it before our professor arrived and announced that class would be canceled because of the threat.

What struck me was how everyone around me seemed just as calm. No one rushed out of the classroom. There was no immediate sense of panic or urgency. We simply got the news, accepted the cancellation, and prepared to leave.

Before this happened, I had imagined how I would react in a situation like this. I thought my instincts would kick in, that fear would take over, and that I would immediately recognize the seriousness of what was happening. Instead, I found myself treating the threat almost like an inconvenience.

And perhaps that is what unsettled me the most: I was not entirely surprised by the threat itself.

In recent days, reports of security threats have surfaced across Metro Manila universities: the University of Santo Tomas on Oct. 23 and 27, De La Salle University Manila on Oct. 26, and Emilio Aguinaldo College on Oct. 27.

In response, UST pivoted to remote operations following its first threat but remained open under tight security during the second. DLSU evacuated its campus and moved afternoon classes online. EAC similarly halted face-to-face sessions to pivot to online classes.

As these incidents continue to appear on social media, I began to wonder if my reaction was becoming more common. Questions about the motives behind these threats and whether the incidents were connected also remained unanswered.

I would be lying if I said I had never thought, “May hindi na naman ba nakapag-review para sa exam?” I have caught myself treating these threats like a sick joke, another disruption to classes, or another announcement that would eventually amount to nothing. It is an uncomfortable thought to admit, especially when I know that these reports concern the safety of students and everyone around them.

It reminds me of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. When people hear the same warning over and over, they may eventually stop taking it seriously. But what happens when the next threat is real?

It is unsettling to realize that I might be getting used to something that should never feel normal. I don’t want to reach a point where I dismiss a threat simply because I have heard one too many times.

That realization scares me more than my initial reaction to the threat.

What happens when another announcement comes, and we dismiss it because we have heard it all before? What happens when we assume that it is another joke, another attempt to disrupt classes, another empty threat, and fail to act when the danger is real?

The uncertainty surrounding these incidents only makes things worse. Without clear answers, people are left to speculate, while repeated reports risk becoming background noise in our daily lives. We should not have to choose between blindly believing every claim and dismissing every warning. We need credible information, clear communication, and a sense of accountability so that students can understand what is happening without having to rely on rumors or assumptions.

Being calm in the face of a threat does not automatically mean being desensitized. People react differently to frightening situations. But I cannot ignore the possibility that my own calmness came from having grown accustomed to hearing about threats that I assumed would never materialize.

I do not want to reach a point where a bomb threat becomes just another reason for classes to be canceled, where the first thing that comes to mind is an inconvenience rather than the possibility that someone could get hurt.

I hope these threats never turn into something worse. But I also hope that we do not need to experience an actual tragedy before we remember why every threat deserves to be taken seriously.

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