Plane passenger arrested in Davao City after bomb joke

The Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEU) on Sunday arrested a plane passenger who made a bomb joke, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Monday.

CAAP said the PNP-AVSEU boarded Cebu Pacific Flight 5J97 at the Davao International Airport to arrest the suspect, later identified as 59-year-old Annabelle Macose.

Macose was then investigated and turned over to the Sasa Police Station for custodial proceedings.

The Cebu Pacific flight requested security assistance through the Davao Control Tower after Macose made a bomb joke.

Meanwhile, CAAP said the remaining 220 passengers were deplaned while the aircraft was repositioned and all baggage was re-screened.

The flight, which was initially scheduled to depart Davao for Manila at 6:45 p.m. left the airport at 9:11 p.m. on the same day. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KG, GMA Integrated News