DAVAO CITY — Dozens of parents immeditaely tropped at the gate of Santa Ana Central Elementary School after a parent received a message that a bomb was placed within the vicitnity of the sschool.
Students were imediately secured while local police and traffic authorities closed a portion of Ramon Magsaysay Avenue here particularly near Santa Ana Central Elementary School because of a bomb joke but after few minutes the place was cleared.
A message was reportedly sent claiming a bomb was placed near the vicinity of the public school, prompting local authorities to send the team from the Explosive and Ordnance Division, which all turned ou a hoax.
It was not clear however, who started the joke. Under the Philippine law making bomb joke is prohibited.
The law is specific Presidential Decree No. 1727 or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, the malicious dissemination of false information concerning threats of bombs, explosives, or any similar devices is unlawful and carries penalties.
PD No. 1727 was passed in the wake of bombing and terrorist attacks including those by pranksters conveying false information about the presence of bombs for the purpose of causing or creating public confusion and disorder.
The law states that “any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail, telephone, telegraph, printed materials and other instrument or means of communication, willfully makes any threat or maliciously conveys, communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminates false information, knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, by means of explosives, incendiary devices, and other destructive forces of similar nature or characteristics, shall upon conviction be punished with imprisonment of not more than five years, or a fine of not more than P40,000 or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized” (Section 1, RA 1727).
The person who is found responsbile for making a joke will be properly dealth with.
As clearly provided by the law, verbal or written communication that conveys false information about the presence of bombs or similar devices is punishable upon conviction with imprisonment of up to five (5) years and/or a fine of up to Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000).
