ILOILO — A bomb joke that forced an airport runway shutdown in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and disrupted a flight to Iloilo has prompted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to issue a warning, stressing that such acts will be dealt with seriously under the law.
CAAP-Iloilo, which manages the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town, reminded passengers to refrain from making bomb-related jokes, especially while inside the airport or already on board aircraft, following the April 16 incident in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan that caused delays and operational setbacks, including Cebu Pacific flights servicing the Puerto Princesa-Iloilo route.
The disruption affected Flight 5J4805/4806 (ILO-PPS-ILO), which failed to depart on time due to heightened security protocols and runway closure at the destination airport.
“Cancelled flight due to additional security screening conducted following a bomb joke and unable to beat the runway closure at Puerto Princesa Airport,” the Iloilo International Airport announced.
The situation escalated into passenger offloading and thorough security inspections, particularly impacting the Iloilo-bound and Puerto Princesa-bound flights.
“A Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J4805 going to Puerto Princesa is currently delayed due to a bomb joke by one passenger while on-board the aircraft. Affected passengers on this flight were safely disembarked back to the terminal. Authorities secured the area and conducted a thorough inspection and later confirmed that no explosives or hazardous materials were present. The passenger was escorted for documentation and offloaded from the flight, with appropriate coordination with airline authorities,” part of the airport’s official statement read.
Airport management emphasized that bomb jokes are strictly prohibited under Presidential Decree No. 1727, also known as the Bomb Joke/Threat Law, warning that violators may face legal consequences and cause significant inconvenience to other travelers.
“Please refrain from making any jokes or comments that refer to bombs, explosives, or any instruments of violence while at the airport or on board any flight. Your compliance and cooperation will help us avoid any security or law enforcement actions that may delay flights and cause unnecessary inconvenience to all travelers,” the management added./PN
