Cops say 'scavenger' threw suspicious bag on bus roof

MANILA, Philippines - The man who threw a black plastic bag on the roof of a passenger bus along EDSA near F.B. Harrison St. in Pasay City late Wednesday afternoon was possibly a homeless scavenger, the Southern Police District (SPD) said Thursday.

SPD director Jose Erwin Villacorte said the plastic bag only contained garbage and no explosive traces.

“Puro basura ang laman nung bag. Malamang inihagis lang ng isang taong grasa (The bag only contained garbage. It could have been tossed by a scavenger),” said Villacorte.

Villacorte added that the identity of the man has yet to be established as there were no witnesses and he was not caught by any of the closed circuit television cameras installed in the area.

The incident caused heavy traffic as enforcers of the Metro Manila Development Authority blocked vehicular traffic on both lanes of EDSA and cordon-off the Bataan bus (TXT-262).

Initial reports said the bus was through EDSA when the bag landed on its roof on reaching F.B. Harrison St. at about 5 p.m.

Bus driver Domingo Balloro the stopped the vehicle and asked all his passengers to get off.

A bomb disposal team from the National Capital Region Police Office was then deployed to sweep the bus but found no traces of explosives.