Mindanao-bound passenger held at NAIA-3 over bomb joke

A passenger bound for Mindanao was offloaded and detained at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday morning for making a bomb joke, an airport official said.

NAIA Terminal 3 manager Octavio Lina said the passenger was heard joking that a bomb had been placed aboard the plane scheduled to leave for Butuan City at 6:30 a.m.

"The passenger was offloaded and is now being investigated," Lina said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He did not name the passenger.

A separate report on dzBB said the affected flight was that of flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

An investigation showed the passengers were about to board the Butuan-bound flight when one of them cracked the bomb joke.

The pilot was informed and the passenger was not allowed to board the plane.

When asked if the flight managed to take off, Lina said, "tuloy naman, walang problema (the flight pushed through, there was no problem)."

But he reminded passengers bomb jokes are a no-no in the Philippines, and passengers who engage in such jokes face sanctions. — LBG, GMA News