‘Terminated employee behind hoax bomb scare’

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak suspects that a terminated employee is behind the hoax bomb scare at the City Hall on Thursday morning.

While he refused to give the male suspect’s name, Tumulak said he based his suspicions on the fact that he has contact details of some City Hall officials and employees.

“Maybe (he made a bomb joke) because of his disappointments and grudges. It was a plain bomb joke,” Tumulak said.

Using cell phone number 0939-1349105, the suspect sent out a text message which read, “Imponto 11:30am sa buntag naay bomba mo boto sa cebu city hall., lanueva, sto nino. Mga wa moy ayo tanan mo way mapili (At exactly 11:30 a.m., a bomb will detonate in Cebu City Hall, La Nueva Supermarket, Sto. Niño Church. You are all worthless).”

Among those who received said message were Tumulak, Councilor Joel Garganera, one of Garganera’s office staff, a barangay captain and a staff of a private law firm located within the City Hall block.

Tumulak said that he is still gathering information on the suspect, but he is not inclined to press charges against him.

The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is also investigating the matter.

“Personally, maluoy ko (I feel pity for him). He was already terminated. I don’t want to reach the point where we’ll file a case (against him as well),” he said.

But Acting Mayor Edgar Labella said that appropriate charges should be filed against the suspect for disturbing City Hall operations on Thursday morning.

Some of the City Hall employees had to vacate their offices after the bomb scare was announced.

“He (Tumulak) should investigate to deter (occurrence of a similar incident in the future). It (the hoax bomb scare) should never happen again,” Labella said.