Employees and guests of the Cebu Provincial Legislative Building evacuated after a staff of the Office of the Vice-Gov. received a bomb threat through a phone call, Monday, Sept. 13. (Contributed)
The Cebu Provincial Legislative Building was immediately evacuated and work suspended after a building official received a bomb threat shortly before noon, Monday.
Building security personnel immediately alerted the Cebu City Police Office that dispatched their Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit.
PSMS Lido Libres, Abellana Police (Station 2) investigator, told reporters that they received the alarm past noon.
Libres said Felicísimo Tandoy, Jr., executive assistant of Vice Gov. Hilario Davide III received a call from an unknown female caller warning them that a bomb had been planted in the legislative building and would explode in a few minutes.
“Sir, evacuate the legislative building because a bomb will explode in 20-minutes,” said Libres in Cebuano, quoting Tandoy as saying. The legislative building, located within the Capitol compound in uptown Cebu City.
Cebu Vice-Gov. Hilario Davide III said Tandoy answered two calls from the unknown caller. The first one, he said, was cut off upon answering, and the second was when the threat was made.
Davide postponed Monday’s regular session and canceled work for the day for a thorough inspection of the building.
Local police are exploring the possibility that the recent bomb threat at the provincial legislative building might be related to the bomb threat received by the Cebu City Hall late last month. – Ryan Sorote