The items that were found inside the backpack left at the Talisay City Hall. /Zena Magto
TALISAY CITY, Philippines – Occupants of the Talisay City Hall were told to vacate their offices after a Job Order employee found a dark gray backpack that was left outside of the Persons with Disability Office (PWDO) located at the left wing of the building’s upper ground floor.
Erwin Sigue immediately alerted security personnel on his discovery of the bag which contained an object a red blinking light.
Police Executive Master Sergeant Roland Melior of the Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said that the blinking light which Sigue saw may have come from the cellular phone, one of the items which they found inside the abandoned backpack.
Police Technical Sergeant Tim Soreño of the Talisay City Police Office said they are now looking for Roberto Cabugnason of Barangay Dumlog, whose name appears on some documents that were inside the backpack together with some clothes, a cellphone, cellphone chargers, some wirings and pieces of wood.
Soreño said that a complaint for the violation of the anti-bomb threat law may be filed against Cabugnason if proven that the bomb scare was intentional.
“Ma filan guro siya og kaso if intentional ang iya pag himo. Kung nalimtan man to niya, ngano di man sad to nila ma hinumduman,” said Soreño.
(We could file a complaint against him (Cabugnason) if found that the bomb scare was intentional. If he merely forgot about his bag, I do not see any reason why he could not remember having left it.)
Security Measure
Learning from this morning’s experience, Soreño said, there was a need to improve security at the Talisay City Hall.
“Ato ayuhon nga ang mga security guard naa nay mga detector, para ang mga tao mu gawas, mu sulod,” said Soreño.
(We need to enhance the capabilities of the security guards and make sure that they use detectors on people who enter and leave the building.)
Soreño said there was also a need for the Talisay City government to install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras as an added security measure.
Bomb Scare
Sigue reported the discovery of the abandoned backpack past 9 a.m. today, May 29.
Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas ordered for the immediate suspension of work at City Hall to ensure the safety of employees and visiting taxpayers while EOD personnel try to identify the backpack’s content.
The EOD team that included two bomb sniffing dogs arrived at the City Hall shortly before noontime.
Melior picked up the bag and brought it to the lobby of the building’s left wing before he started to search its contents.
After seeing the bag’s contents, Soreño said he does not discount the possibility that it’s owner may have visited PDAO or the nearby City Social Welfare and Development Office to ask for assistance.
Soreño said that witnesses earlier saw three men on the same area were the backpack was found, but they are yet to verify the information since the building did not have any CCTVs. /dcb