Bomb threat causes panic among Cabanatuan court employees

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–A prank call warning of a forthcoming bomb explosion inside the Regional Trial Court (RTC) building here has left terrorized court employees storming out of their offices here Tuesday.

          Police Superintendent Pedro Soliba, Cabanatuan police chief, said the supposed bomb was reported to them by Cabanatuan RTC Branch 28 legal researcher Wilson Mangabat.

          Mangabat said the bomb threat was relayed to him by a certain Aneth Gonzales, an employee of a bonding company.

Gonzales claimed she received a text message from an unnamed person at around 9:50 pm Monday that the bomb will explode at around 9:15 am Tuesday at an unspecified place in the compound in Barangay Accfa.

          Aside from two RTC buildings, the compound also houses the Hall of Justice building.

Operatives of the Cabanatuan police immediately cordoned off the area which was examined by agents of the explosives and ordnance team from the Army’s 7^th Infantry Division of the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation.

The bomb disposal team cleared the area of any explosive devices shortly before noon. (Manny Galvez)