By I. Inojales | 10:48 PM September 24, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Panic swept through Holy Name University (HNU) on Thursday night after loud popping sounds and screams from a classroom activity were mistaken for gunshots, sending students and faculty scrambling to lock themselves inside classrooms and triggering an emergency police response.
Authorities later declared the incident a false alarm after a floor-by-floor security sweep of the Scanlon Building found no shooting and no security threat.
The sounds came from an activity on the building’s second floor in which students popped balloons tied to their heels, according to Fr. Semei B. Rebayla, SVD, HNU vice president for administration.
The activity, held at around 7 p.m. on Sept. 24, produced repeated popping sounds and shouting that were heard in surrounding classrooms, according to The Word, the university’s official student publication.
Students, faculty and staff who thought they were hearing gunfire locked themselves inside classrooms and called 911. Several students reportedly fainted during the panic and were brought to the university clinic.
Tagbilaran City police immediately responded to the reported shooting, with chief of police Lt.Col. Joey Bicoy leading the investigation and security sweep of the building.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap said authorities had verified that no shooting had occurred at the university.
Students who were temporarily locked inside classrooms were later reassured after authorities and university officials explained the source of the sounds, allowing classes to resume.
The incident also drew attention to HNU’s policy prohibiting balloons on campus because they are considered plastic materials under university regulations. With a report from Helen Castaño
