Person behind bomb scare in ‘pink’ rally released from detention

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—A graduating political science student of the Western Mindanao State University, went home happy and relieved after hours of questioning due to his viral “bomb scare” post on Thursday in the runup to the grand rally of Vice President Leni Robredo in Barangay Pasonanca.

Franz Delos Santos, 25, of Barangay Ayala, apologized profusely for his actions after he posted on Facebook: “What if may bomb threat sa abong abong (Cesar C. Climaco Park) mamaya? Kasalanan ba ni BBM yun? Hehehe, sana meron!”

Netizens, even his friends, called his attention when he posted the message at around 11 a.m., he said in an interview over RMN radio on Thursday night.

He said he posted the message while having a break from his part time job in one of the canning companies here.

“I am loyal to BBM, I got very emotional, so I posted this message. I have no bad intentions, I just realized later that what I did (was) wrong, especially when my post became viral. I did not know that exercising my freedom of speech is bad,” Delos Santos said.

According to Police Lt. Colonel Elmer Solon, one of the officers tasked to investigate the case, they were notified by the Sinunuc police station that a certain Franz delos Santos surrendered
after initiating the bomb scare on social media.

Solon said Delos Santos turned himself over to the police when he learned that cops were sent out to locate him.

Solon disclosed that no one came to file a complaint against Delos Santos so he was released to his parents.

The police further said that Delos Santos could not be made to answer for cybercrime “because he was able to delete his post.”

According to the cybercrime unit, only post that was not deleted could stand scrutiny in court even as the police probers and netizens had screenshots of his bomb scare post.

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JPV