CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 20-year-old man was arrested and detained in the Carbon Police Precinct after cracking a bomb joke inside the Social Security System (SSS) office in Jones Ave., Cebu City around 9:40 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, 2019.
Police identified the suspect as Jefferson Jaca, a resident of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur and temporarily residing in Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City.
Police Corporal Noel Tinagos of the Carbon Police Precinct said that while Jaca was inside the SSS premises at that time to follow up on a transaction with the office when he made the bomb joke.
He is the latest person arrested for making a bomb joke. The last time a person was arrested for this offense was in July 2018 when a woman made a bomb joke inside a mall in Cebu City.
Read more: Police arrested a woman for allegedly making a bomb joke on Saturday
While he was there waiting for his turn to be served by the SSS representatives, he suddenly said in jest that he would bomb the office.
SSS clients inside the office who heard Jaca making a bomb joke got worried and reported this to the office’s security guard.
Security Guard Dexter Albarico then held Jaca and made a citizen’s arrest.
He then informed the Carbon police and turned Jaca over to them when they arrived at the SSS office.
Jaca was detained at the Carbon Police Precinct.
He would be facing charges in violation of Presidential Decree (P.D.) 1727 or the Malicious Dissemination of False Information of the Willful Making of any Threat Concerning Bombs, Explosives or any Means of Destruction./dbs