Dannie Agacer/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–From a harmless jest to dire consequence, one man’s story is a cautionary tale about the risks of humor gone wrong.
A passenger of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT-3) found himself in hot water after a bomb joke he made at the Shaw Boulevard station’s baggage inspection area backfired.
While queuing in the baggage inspection area, he made an illegal remark that prompted MRT-3 security personnel to apprehend him.
The man, who was not identified, was turned over to the Wack Wack Police Station and detained at the Eastern Police District, Mandaluyong City Police Station Headquarters Detention Cell. He now faces charges for violating Presidential Decree 1727 or the “Anti-Bomb Joke Law.”
The MRT-3 management reminds the public not to toy around with bomb jokes or make false bomb threats within the train system’s premises.
“Making bomb jokes is a serious crime and may cause unnecessary inconvenience to the operations,” the management said in a statement.
The MRT-3 has dealt with false bomb threats before. In 2019, the train system’s management received a bomb threat via email, leading to tightened security measures at all stations.