Classes at Ateneo de Zamboanga continue amid tighter security

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – Classes were not suspended at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Grade School Department on Monday, but campus administrators, with the help of the police, elevated internal security protocols following circulating online threats of an alleged attack at the campus.

Lt. Col. Shellamie Chang, spokesperson for Police Regional Office 9 (PRO-9), confirmed that operations at the university’s Kreutz Campus remained normal on Monday, but under stricter security measures. 

READ: Ateneo de Zamboanga grade school beefs up security amid threat messages

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Chang emphasized that police authorities are working closely with university officials for continuous threat verification and rapid response.

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Following the police statement, school administrators reassured parents, guardians, and the public that initial evaluations conducted alongside law enforcement yielded no substantiated threat to the academic community. 

However, in line with precautionary advisories and police coordination, AdZU Grade School stepped up its campus defenses, especially as the apprehension comes just two months after the August 18 shooting at its junior high school campus that left two students dead, including the shooter.

To safeguard students and personnel, safety protocols at the university’s Kreutz Campus have been tightly secured through strict access control, mandatory entry screening, metal detector checks, X-ray baggage inspections, and controlled access points across all entry gates. 

Perimeter security has also been reinforced alongside an increased deployment of roving security guards across campus grounds to maintain constant vigilance.

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The security response aligns with proactive measures initiated over the weekend by the AdZU Basic Education Unit under Vice President Jeffrey Jalani. 

On Saturday, Oct. 17, officers from the Regional Civil Security Unit 9 (RCSU9) conducted an Active Shooting Response and Preparedness Session, sharing tactical police expertise on emergency preparedness, threat assessment, and immediate response protocols for academic settings.

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For the Grade School Department, the PNP-led training served as an essential reorientation on emergency protocols, emphasizing critical threat evaluation, situational awareness, and sound decision-making under high-pressure scenarios.

Marking a broader institutional push toward emergency readiness, administrators, faculty, and staff from the Grade School Department were joined for the first time by representatives from the Senior High School Department in a unified effort to strengthen overall campus readiness. /jpv