A CARELESS joke disrupted a Manila-bound flight on Oct. 1 during boarding at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City.
The Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) reported that a cabin crew member asked a male passenger if he had a power bank in his bag. The passenger replied, “Wala naman, pero bomba, joke (Nothing really, only a bomb ... just a joke).”
The comment alarmed nearby passengers, prompting Avsegroup personnel to act.
Authorities ordered all passengers to deplane while aviation police conducted a security sweep, deployed K9 units and manually inspected all luggage hauled on the tarmac for threats.
Authorities eventually cleared the aircraft of any explosive or incendiary materials, and later allowed the airport to resume normal operations.
The 32-year-old suspect remains in the custody of the Tacloban Airport Police Station. Authorities are preparing a criminal complaint against him for violating Presidential Decree 1727, also known as the Anti-Bomb Joke Law.
Avsegroup director Brig. Gen. Dionisio Bartolome reiterated that bomb jokes are treated as serious security threats, emphasizing that airport authorities will be strict to ensure aviation safety.
