Bomb scare query mistaken for threat

CEBU, Philippines - A misunderstanding between a passenger and a flight attendant of Cebu Pacific over an inquiry regarding a bomb threat alerted authorities at the Mactan Cebu Airport yesterday morning.

An investigator of the Police Civil Aviation Security-7 stationed at the Mactan Cebu Airport said a woman called up Cebu Pacific to ask if it was true that a bomb threat had been called in at the airport. She was concerned as she was set to fly to Bacolod yesterday morning and got a text message that a bomb threat had been reported at the airport.

However, the PCAS investigator said flight attendant Joana Marie Leon misunderstood the inquiry and mistook it for a bomb threat and reported it to airport security.

Senior Supt. Ritchie Medardo Posadas, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7, said he immediately sent his men to the airport after receiving a call for assistance from the PCAS, which he used to head.

After the woman arrived at the airport and checked in, PCAS personnel invited her for questioning.

However, after the matter was sorted out, the woman was allowed to board the Cebu Pacific flight. Posadas said she promised to report again to CIDG-7 office on Monday for some queries.

Mary Ann Dimabayao, Officer-in-Charge of the MCIAA Public Affairs Division said that even before the said bomb threats text, airport adopted measures to ensure the safety of the passengers and those who have transactions at Mactan Airport.

Lapu-Lapu City Police Office director Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas said the PNP Lapu-Lapu and PCAS-7 have close coordination in any alarm at the airport.

Police Regional Office-7 director Danilo Constantino said the incident was just a case of miscommunication and nobody will be blamed for anything, adding that this is how police and concerned authorities react to any security threat, especially with the recent bombings in Mindanao.

The PRO-7 director further called on people not to spread bomb threat texts and instead directly report them to the police to validate reports. — With Bong Soriano/BRP (FREEMAN)