CAAP PRESS RELEASE

03 July 2024

Zamboanga Del Norte – A foreign male passenger at Dipolog Airport is currently in the custody of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) after making a bomb joke this morning, July 3.

In a report received by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Area Center 9, the bomb joke incident occurred around 05:55 in the morning involving a male passenger and his wife who were supposed to board flight PR2558 bound for Manila. When asked by airline staff about items in his check-in baggage, the passenger initially responded, “No! Just Atomic Bomb,” before retracting his statement and clarifying, “I was only joking.”

As a precaution, airline staff approached security to report the incident. When questioned by security, he stated that his luggage only contained personal items and promptly apologized for his earlier remarks. Thereafter, the Station Head temporarily suspended their check-in process and baggage handling to report the incident to PNP-AVSEU.

Area Manager Center 9, Edwin Luching, stated that the foreign passenger and his wife did not proceed with their trip as they were taken into custody by the PNP AVSEGROUP. He reminded passengers that a bomb joke is not a joke, emphasizing, “A bomb joke not only inconveniences passengers but also disrupts airline and airport operations. Such actions could lead to travel disruptions and legal consequences.”

Presidential Decree No. 1727 punishes bomb jokes with a penalty of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, or a fine of not more than forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00).