Passenger arrested for bomb joke at Davao airport

MANILA, Philippines – A passenger on a domestic flight at the Davao International Airport was arrested on Sunday, November 3, for making a bomb joke.

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Operations Center said the passenger, Ramon Barrios, “made a reference to a bomb, which according to him was only a joke while he was on board the aircraft.” 

Barrios was a passenger of Airphil Flight GAP2364 bound for Cebu, said CAAP, citing a report from Davao International Airport officer-in-charge Rex Obcena.

The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Unit arrested Barrios, who was held for further investigation then turned over to the local Sasa Police for appropriate charges. 

Maliciously disseminating false information or willfully making threats about the alleged presence of bombs is prohibited by Presidential Decree No. 1727 or the anti-bomb joke law. Violators face imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to P40,000, or both.

The incident also delayed the departure of the Davao-Cebu flight, as all passengers and cargo were offloaded for a security check on the aircraft.

The flight was eventually able to take off at 9:47 am. – Rappler.com