Palace won't suspend classes

MANILA, Philippines - There is no need to suspend classes just because of unverified text messages warning of nuclear fallout from Japan, officials said yesterday.

Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said his department would issue regular bulletins to guide the public regarding radiation levels in the country.

He said the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and other schools that suspended classes last Monday did not consult the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regarding the purported radiation threat.

“They suspended classes on their own. They did not ask for any recommendation from us. Secondly, I don’t know the right word – maybe outrageous – how can we suspend classes when the classes in Japan are normal?” Montejo told a press briefing in Malacañang yesterday.

Montejo was apparently referring to classes in areas in Japan that were not severely affected by the explosions in its nuclear plants.

“I mean, the government in Japan, their offices are operating normally and they are on the site. How can we make a decision to stop classes here in the Philippines which is four hours by plane away from Japan when they themselves are conducting their classes?” Montejo pointed out.

Montejo said the schools that suspended classes should explain their decision.

“Then we will ask also DepEd (Department of Education), (which) has police power over them,” he said.



Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang warned the public against sending alarming and malicious text messages.

“We’ve already said and I think the media has been very cooperative in saying that this is not necessary at this time, in fact, it’s counterproductive. There is a law that penalizes that kind of irresponsible text messages,” he said.

Carandang said other schools were more prudent and did not pay attention to the text messages.

But he said PUP and the other schools that suspended classes could not be held responsible for what they did.

“I don’t think PUP worsened the situation. They acted on the information they had – it was wrong but we don’t blame them for that. We just hope that, in the future, we can verify first before we overreact,” Carandang said.

On the other hand, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hunt down the source of last Monday’s text messages warning that nuclear radiation from Japan was about to hit the country.

“Those behind prank calls or false alarms causing unnecessary alarm should be apprehended – especially if it’s done in bad faith. They are causing public alarm and that’s a crime against public order,” De Lima told a news conference.

She said the recent incident is covered by her standing order for the NBI to run after pranksters and sources of bomb scares, which the government considers a serious crime.

“If those people don’t have anything to do, they should try doing something else. These are scary times with disasters happening and we don’t want to exacerbate the situation by those unfounded news,” she warned.

“We should all be responsible,” she appealed.

De Lima said the prank caused “unnecessary alarm” to the public that even forced the cancellation of classes at the PUP.

There are possible criminal charges that could be filed against the source of the false warning, De Lima said, including alarm and damages.

“Action must be taken against those who initiated these texts,” she said.

While the NBI does not have the technology to trace the source of the text messages, De Lima said there are other ways to track down the prankster.

Text messages had it that a spillover of the nuclear radiation from Japan would reach the Philippines at 4 p.m. last Monday.

The warning even advised the people to stay indoors for 24 hours, close doors and windows and “swab the neck and skin with Betadine where the thyroid area is located.” The purported warning turned out to be a hoax as concerned officials clarified that there was no way radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan could reach the Philippines.

The Department of Health and DOST later issued a bulletin that the Philippines is safe from radiation exposure resulting from the damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The House of Representatives, through the committee on information and communications technology (ICT), will also conduct an inquiry into the text messages.

Committee chairman Taguig Rep. Sifrido Tinga scheduled the inquiry for today upon request of vice chairman Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone.

“What happened yesterday (Monday) about the nuclear radiation text should serve as a wake-up call to all of us,” Evardone said.

Evardone said he was concerned that a text message about a potential disaster happening and which has no basis could be spread so easily and could cause panic buying and suspension of classes.

Evardone wanted to know the role of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the telecommunications companies (telcos) in dealing with such situations.

“Should Congress prescribe some parameters before messages similar to the radiation text be disseminated?” he asked.

Tinga invited NTC and telco representatives to appear in today’s hearing.

Another congressman, Rep. Roilo Golez of Parañaque, urged the government to prepare for the possibility of relocating about 300,000 Filipino workers in Japan in case the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis worsens.

Golez reported that there was another explosion at the plant yesterday morning.

“Even the US Navy is detecting significant but non-harmful radiation from 150 kilometers away. Embassies in Tokyo, including the Philippine embassy, are reportedly sending non-essential staff home or moving south,” he said.

Golez congratulated Ambassador Manuel Lopez for choosing to stay in Tokyo so he could lead efforts to help Filipinos there.

He said the government should also help OFWs and their families “who may lose a substantial amount with the weakening yen in their holdings.”

source: philstar