Bomb "Joke" at Dumaguete Airport

Rye83 · May 11, 2018

More than 100 passengers of a Manila-bound flight were stranded for four hours on Wednesday at the Dumaguete Domestic Airport after a fellow passenger allegedly made a bomb joke during the boarding process.

Police Chief Inspector Ruel Baganes, station chief of the Philippine National Police's Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP) here, told GMA News Online that the suspect is a 69-year-old clergyman.

GMA News Online is withholding his name due to a request from AVSEGROUP head Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos.

Baganes said the suspect was aboard Philippine Airlines (PAL) Flight 2546 scheduled to leave for Manila at around 11 a.m.

The commotion began when flight attendant Tejan Canoneo told the suspect to transfer his food package, which he put at a vacant seat beside him, at the designated space under his seat. He reportedly declined at first.

When Canoneo insisted that the clergyman should follow his instructions, the suspect reportedly snapped back, “Huwag kang mag-alala. Pagkain naman ito, hindi bomba.”

The flight attendant immediately reported the incident to his supervisor, who in turn reported it to the plane’s pilot. The pilot then notified the control tower at the Dumaguete Airport. AVSEGROUP officers and security personnel from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) immediately responded to the scene.

Passengers of the said PAL flight were then requested to deplane, as officers from the PNP Bomb Squad immediately searched the plane, which was eventually cleared from any threat of explosives.

The suspect, Canoneo, and the flight supervisor were then called to the AVSEGROUP station for questioning. As the investigation turned out, the clergyman did not make a bomb joke.

However, because he reportedly did not obey instructions given by an aircraft employee, the clergyman may face charges of violating provisions of Republic Act 9497 or the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008.

“That may have not been a bomb joke, but given our response to the incident, it can even be called a bomb threat,” Baganes said.

Bomb quip strands over 100 passengers at Dumaguete Airport
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Does the passenger's comment translate as "Don't worry. It is food, not a bomb"?

If so, it was quite the naive comment. perhaps he is not a frequent flyer. All that could have been avoided had he just moved his bag without a sarcastic response. I'm sure his fellow passengers were not amused in the least bit.

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Bomb "Joke" at Dumaguete Airport

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