Bomb scare folds up Banig fest program

CEBU, Philippines - Police heightened the alert level in Badian town following a bomb threat they received through text message at around 10:00 the other night.

An unidentified texter using mobile phone number 09239733526 sent the threat through the hotline number of the Badian Police, saying bombs are “scattered in every nook and cranny” in the covered court of Badian where a program on the search for the festival queen and a jingle contest was ongoing last Monday night in line with the town’s Banig Festival.

The message read: “huwag na kau tomawag pa. Ang dapat ninyo gawin e.search ninyo ung covered court andon mga tao nagdadala ng bomva, huwag magsaya/ baka ang kapalit ay kalungkotan.” Further, the text mentioned of around 35 persons “deployed to ruin the program”.

Insp. Raymund Rodriguez, chief of the Badian Police Station, said that though they suspect the texter to be another prankster, they alerted Mayor Carmencita Lungayen on the matter and moved to interrupt the program.

In order to prevent panic among an estimated three thousand spectators, the police ordered for the program to be temporarily stopped as they will be “looking for something lost”.

When the covered court was cleared, police officers immediately searched for the said bombs but found none. They then decided to have the program postponed to further secure the area.

Police tried calling the texter, but the latter did not take the call.

The municipality of Badian is set to celebrate its annual fiesta in honor of Saint James the Apostle tomorrow, July 23 and on the 24th. The program was part of the nightly activities. – Gabriel C. Bonjoc/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)