Police and airport operatives have arrested a female passenger for cracking a bomb joke while boarding a Manila-bound Cebu Pacific Air plane Sunday night at the Davao International Airport.
Meanwhile, the Quezon City council is set to pass an ordinance that would penalize bomb jokes, including those made through social media.
Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) personnel apprehended Annabelle Macose, 59, a resident of Pangasinan, after one of the Cebu Pacific Air customers service staff complained about her bomb prank.
Macose reportedly told the joke to one of the airline’s flight crew.
PNP Avsegroup chief Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin said all passengers of Cebu Pacific Flight 5J-978 disembarked the plane to give way to the conduct of clearing inspection.
“But operatives of the explosive ordnance and K9 units “declared all baggage of outbound passengers cleared of any incendiary materials or devices,” he said.
Aberin commended the quick response of his men to the incident. He appealed and reminded passengers to refrain from making bomb jokes because it causes alarm and panic to the riding public.
“The Avsegroup along with airlines operators and airport authorities will not take this joke lightly. I sternly warn those who still do not understand the effect of bomb jokes to refrain from doing it. Otherwise they will face the consequences of their action as we will strictly enforce laws and regulations in the interest of public safety,” said Aberin.
Macose will be charged with violation of Presidential Decree 1727, or the “Anti-Bomb Joke Law,” for malicious dissemination of false information or wilful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives and any similar device or means of destruction.
She was brought to Davao International Airport Police Station for investigation, and temporarily detained at Panacan Relocation Police Sub-Station.
In 2019, the same incident involving Airphil flight bound for Cebu, happened also at the Davao International Airport. A certain Ramon Barrios had said something about a bomb, forcing the passengers to alight from the plane.
Barrios “made a reference to a bomb, which according to him was only a joke while he was on board the aircraft.” He was consequently arrested by the PNP Aviation personnel and turned over to the local police for appropriate charges.
Under Presidential Decree 1727, or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, violators may face imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine of not more than P40,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.
Anyone circulating hoax warning through email and text messages can also be held criminally liable as it constitutes a wilful dissemination of false information which is punishable by law.
The law, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1980, declared unlawful and penalizes, the malicious dissemination of false information and the making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives, or any similar device or means of destruction.
Interviewed on GMA News, Quezon City councilor Dorothy Delarmente said the proposed
ordinance banning bomb jokes on social media will undergo first reading on Monday afternoon.
“Our ordinance covers the pranks on social media and the internet,” Delarmente explained when asked on the difference of the proposed measure from Presidential Decree 1727.
Presidential Decree No. 1727, signed in October 1980, penalizes “malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives or any similar device or means of destruction.”
“’The penalties are different from what is in the presidential decree and we also included the penalties for minors,” Delarmente added.
Under the proposed ordinance, violators may face a P5,000 fine and six- month imprisonment, according to Delarmente.
If the bomb joke affected school or office activities and caused disorder, violators may face a P5,000 fine multiplied by the number of affected people, but not more than a year of imprisonment, she added.
Violators of minor age will be brought to the city government’s youth home or any facilities accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Delarmente said.
The Quezon City Council pushed for the ordinance following recent bomb threats at some schools in the city that affected activities.
Police arrested on Friday Elfrank Emil Anthony Bacle Kadusale, 22, for allegedly dishing out a bomb threat at the Ponciano Bernardo High School.