I.T. engineer held over airport bomb joke

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A 25-year-old Information Technology engineer from Batangas province was detained for a bomb joke that forced an airline to order the deplaning of around 172 passengers at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo evening of Dec. 21.

The PNP Aviation Security Unit (AVSEU)-6 turned over Gab (real name withheld), a resident of Santa Maria, Sto. Tomas, Batangas to the Cabatuan Municipal Police Station for detention at 3:40 a.m. on Dec. 22.

Gab is facing a case for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1727 or the “malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives, or any similar devise or means of destruction and imposing penalties therefor.”

Captain Dionisio Estacio, Cabatuan police chief, said Gab and a co-worker were already inside the Manila-bound Cebu Pacific Air 5J 460 flight when he spewed the “bomb joke” at around 9:10 p.m.

He allegedly uttered, “Nadala naman ang bomba (We brought the bomb).”

Other passengers who heard the joke immediately informed the cabin crew.

“When the crew went to him (Gab) to confirm, ganun pa rin ang sinabi niya (he said the same),” Estacio said.

He said passengers were eventually made to deplane at 9:30 p.m.

Several minutes later, airport authorities and AVSEU-6 conducted paneling or inspection of the plane and the passengers’ check-in and hand-carry baggage.

After authorities declared that the area and the aircraft were free from any bombs or explosives, passengers were again made to board.

The supposed 10 p.m. flight eventually left at 11:24 p.m.

When Gab was later asked why he did it, he claimed that it was just a plain joke.

The bomb he was referring to was a “dried fish” he bought as pasalubong.

It was gathered that Gab arrived in Iloilo on Monday, Dec. 18, for a project with a bank which has a branch in Iloilo City.