A hoax bomb threat on Monday, Feb. 12, disrupted work at the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Visayas Avenue in Quezon City.
“As of now, pinauwi na po ang employees (employees were sent home),” a representative of the DENR reported in a message sent to the “DENR BEAT” Viber group at 12:06 p.m.
According to the environment department, they received a bomb threat via email to DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) at 10 a.m.
“Upon thorough investigation in cooperation with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the information being circulated has been verified to be a hoax,” the DENR said in a statement sent to the Manila Bulletin.
Even though the threat turned out to be a hoax, the agency has called on everybody to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to authorities.
“The Department continues to stay alert and committed to the security and well-being of our employees at all times” it stated.
Per the report of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the DENR main office was “declared clear” of any explosive.
Reports said 15 members of the Quezon City Police’s Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) searched through the DENR’s main office.
Presidential Decree No. 1727, known as the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, prohibits the intentional spread of false information or the making of threats related to bombs, explosives, or similar destructive devices. It imposes penalties for such actions.
“Any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail, telephone, telegraph, printed materials and other instrument or means of communication, willfully makes any threat or maliciously conveys, communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminates false information, knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, by means of explosives, incendiary devices, and other destructive forces of similar nature or characteristics, shall upon conviction be punished with imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, or a fine or not more than forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00) or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized,” it stated.