Airport authorities on Thursday apprehended a male passenger who made a bomb joke while boarding a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Cotabato City at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
In a statement, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said passengers of PAL Flight PR2959 reported the bomb joke to the flight crew, who in turn reported the incident to the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group.
Authorities identified the passenger as Saidona Singgon, who is now in the custody of airport police for questioning, CAAP said.
Singgon claimed that he is a DOTr-CAAP employee
However, the CAAP and Department of Transportation denied any connection with him.
Upon verification, airport authorities found out that Singgon is an employee of the autonomous DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) under the ARMM.
Under the law, a person who makes a bomb joke at the airport may be penalized with a fine of over P40,0000 and/or a jail term of more than 5 years, depending on the court’s decision. /je