By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The operations at the Hall of Justice (HOJ) here were temporarily suspended following a bomb threat yesterday.
This incident happened four months after a false bomb threat also hit the building.
Police Captain Paul Vincent Pendon, head of Police Station 2, said that a lawyer at the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) received a phone call from an unidentified man around 8 a.m. on Wednesday informing him that a bomb will explode at the HOJ around 9 a.m.
“May bomba da, palukpon sa HOJ karon 9 a.m.,” Pendon quoted the caller as saying.
Policemen assigned at the HOJ then called for back-up to clear the area.
Pendon said the Bacolod Mobile Force Company, Explosive Ordnance Dispersal (EOD) team and other law enforcement units like the Philippine Army, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) responded to the scene to ensure the safety of the employees and other people.
Pendon said that all people vacated the building around 8:15 a.m.
The EOD team, however, did not enter the vicinity yet because the threat had a specific time of explosion.
“Ara lang sila sa area, may waiting time sila because may specific time ang explosion, after which ma assess sila sa situation,” Pendon said.
Pendon said the area was cleared by the authorities from the threat around 11:45 a.m.
Pendon said they could not conclude yet if the recent caller was the same person behind the previous bomb threat in April 2021.
“Basi bala may akusado lang nga gusto i-postpone ang hearing,” Pendon said, referring to the possible motive behind the prank call.
