Tacloban police probes fake bomb report

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 17 (PNA) -– The local police here launched an investigation on the spread of false information regarding the reported bomb explosion in the city.

In coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), authorities have been tracing the sources of unverified information.

In the past few days, reports have been circulating over social media that a bomb exploded at the city’s downtown area on Monday morning, said city police chief Sr. Supt. Rolando Bade.

Panic broke out after a suspicious box was reported to contain a bomb, but it turned out to be hoax, according to Bade.

The box had inside a mobile phone with a speaker attached to it. It was found inside a police tent located along Rizal Street, one of the busiest roads in the city.

Upon their verification, they decided to detonate the suspected bomb but after the blast, they found no trace of improvised explosive device (IED) components in the suspected package.

Bade said the explosion heard near the downtown area was a counter charge -- a devise used to ignite the suspicious item -- and not the suspected IED.

“So be careful of what you utter about the bomb threat because you might be put into jail,” Bade said.
Presidential Decree No. 1727, commonly referred to as the “Anti-Bomb Joke Law”, prohibits

malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives, or any similar device or means of destruction.

As clearly provided by the law, verbal or written communication that conveys false information about the presence of bombs or similar devices is punishable upon conviction with imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to PHP40,000. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/FELGIN C. SILAGAN