Bomb jokes inside planes may land you into trouble

Passengers can get arrested for making jokes about bombs inside an aircraft, a local airline said.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific reminded travelers of Presidential Decree 1727, which declares it unlawful to make malicious comments on safety and security-related matters inside a plane.

Peggy Vera, Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate planning and external affairs, mentioned two separate instances in January when passengers on a Cebu Pacific flight had joked about having a "bomb" in their hand-carried luggage.

In both cases, the pilot in command delayed the flight and the passengers, with their excess baggage of black humor, were asked to disembark and were turned over to proper authorities. This, she explained, was part of standard operating procedures.

"We take our passengers’ safety seriously," said Vera. "It’s just unfortunate that these precautions could cause inconvenience to other passengers. But we’d rather be safe than sorry."

Vera added, "Our people are very conscientious when it comes to such matters. So I ask the riding public to refrain from making such security-related jokes and comments anywhere in an airport, and especially when inside the aircraft."

PD 1727 makes special mention of "pranksters, conveying, propagating or otherwise disseminating false information or willfully making threats regarding the alleged presence of bombs, explosives, incendiary devices or any similar device or means of destruction..."

"Passengers who make such remarks are liable even if the remark was only meant as a joke," said Vera. "All security-related remarks are — and will be — taken seriously; the flight crew will not take the risk of compromising the safety of passengers."

If pranksters cannot be restrained, Vera said "the pilot in command will take all precautions necessary even if it means canceling or delaying the flight, just to ensure the safety of the passengers and aircraft."