A bomb joke made by a passenger resulted in the cancellation of Cebu Pacific flights from and to Iloilo International Airport on Friday evening, April 17.
The cancelled flights were 5J4805 (Iloilo to Puerto Princesa) and its return leg flight, 5J4806 (Puerto Princesa to Iloilo).
In a statement, the airport management said the cancellation was “due to additional security screening” to ensure the safety of passengers.
According to authorities, the unidentified passenger cracked the joke while on board the aircraft bound for Puerto Princesa in Palawan.
Flights 5J4805 passengers were safely disembarked back to the terminal and after a thorough inspection, no explosives or hazardous materials were found.
“The erring passenger was escorted for documentation and offloaded from the flight, with appropriate coordination with airline authorities,” the management said.
“We remind the public that bomb jokes are banned under Presidential Decree No. 1727 (Bomb Joke/Threat Law) and will be taken seriously by security and law enforcement authorities,” it added.IMT
