BACOLOD CITY –– A bomb scare that turned out to be a hoax disrupted work at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City on Tuesday morning, April 6.
Executive Judge Raymond Joseph Javier of the Bacolod Regional Trial Court said an employee of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) received a phone call from an unidentified male telling them to vacate the building as a bomb was about to explode.
The PAO immediately informed the Hall of Justice building administrator about it.
Javier said he then instructed all employees and persons in the Hall of Justice to vacate the building immediately.
The policemen on duty called in the Negros Occidental Police Bomb Squad Unit to validate the report.
“After a thorough sweep of the whole building, including the parking lot areas, the bomb squad cleared the building and declared it safe for occupancy,” Javier said.
Court operations resumed two and half hours later at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Investigation on the identity of the anonymous caller is still ongoing.
LZB