Passenger's bomb joke disrupts Cebu Pacific flight, leads to police custody

A passenger aboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J617 made a bomb joke upon landing, prompting immediate security measures and disrupting the flight on Saturday, March 22.

A flight attendant overheard the remark made by two passengers who were subsequently placed under police custody for investigation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Security and Intelligence Service promptly responded to assess the situation after receiving information from tower personnel.

By 12:43 pm, authorities confirmed that the aircraft was free of any explosive threat, and all passengers and crew members were declared safe with flight operations resuming without further incident.

CAAP reminded the public that making bomb jokes is a serious offense under Presidential Decree No. 1727, which strictly prohibits false bomb threats and can result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of P40,000.

Passengers are urged to exercise caution and responsibility in their statements to uphold the safety and security of all travelers.