Laguindingan Airport (Photo from the CAAP Area X/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — A foreign passenger was apprehended at Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental on Tuesday evening after making a bomb threat on a plane.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) narrated the incident in a statement on Wednesday.
The CAAP said the foreigner was on a flight from Mactan-Cebu to Laguindingan when he made the alleged threat at around 9:42 p.m.
“During the disembarkation process, a US citizen stood up to retrieve his baggage and made a threatening remark: ‘I can shoot you all, and I can trigger the bomb’,” the CAAP said.
The agency was citing Laguindingan Airport Manager Job De Jesus’ account.
Airport personnel immediately relayed the remarks of the foreigner to the control tower.
Upon getting the information, the Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Unit (PNP-AVSEU) and the CAAP Security and Intelligence Unit conducted a K9 inspection of all of the passengers’ baggage.
There were 73 other passengers in the aircraft.
No bombs were found.
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The suspect was interrogated by PNP-AVSEU and detained at its headquarters in Laguindingan Airport.
He will face criminal complaints for making the threat.
The name of the suspect was withheld by authorities.
In line with this experience, De Jesus warned all air passengers against uttering bomb threats.
“We consistently emphasize to passengers and airport users that joking or making bomb jokes at the airport or on an airplane is strictly prohibited,” he said.
“Anyone caught will face serious charges, including corresponding penalties and imprisonment,” he added.
Under Presidential Decree No. 1727, anyone who says a hoax bomb threat will suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine of not more than P40,000.