Solon makes bomb joke at NAIA

FILE: Facade of Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. (Photo By Mithril Cloud at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — The Philippine Airlines (PAL) confirmed on Friday that Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) Representative Sergio Dagooc made a bomb joke at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Thursday afternoon.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) the solon checked in for his 3:50 p.m. flight bound for Cagayan de Oro. When the check-in agent asked what was inside his bag, he replied, “clothes”. However, when asked what else was inside, he apparently said “bomba” (bomb).

Making a bomb joke is a violation of Presidential Decree 1727, or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law.

Under the law, violators may face imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine of not more than PHP40,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Villaluna said that PAL, through its lawyers, filed a complaint against the solon for violating the Anti-Bomb Joke law. The airport cops, however, released Dagooc at 10:48 p.m.

“They (airport cops) cited Article 6 Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that ‘a senator or member of the House of Representatives shall, be in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while the Congress is in Session’,” Villaluna said.

PAL, meanwhile, appealed to passengers to refrain uttering words that may cause alarm, panic or undue concern.

The airline and the aviation authorities do not take such utterances lightly, it added.