Security tight at Manila City Hall over 'bomb threat'

MANILA, Philippines – Police on Wednesday morning tightened security at the Manila City Hall after an informant reported to authorities a supposed threat to bomb the city hall. PO2 Jett Tajonera of the Manila City Hall police detachment said that a lady informed the police’s Patrol 117 that she overheard a conversation among five men plotting to bomb the city hall. "Tumawag ang babae sa 117. Tumawag sa kanila, na-overhear yung conversation ng limang lalaki. Nagpa-plano na bombahin ang Manila City Hall. Narinig sa isang terminal ng bus [The lady called Patrol 117. She reported the conversation among five men planning to bomb the city hall. She said she heard the men at a bus terminal], Tajonera said, noting that the lady phoned the police about 5 a.m. Tuesday. Tajonera declined to name the informant. He said that the police’s Patrol 117 then relayed the information to Manila police authorities, who then rushed immediately to the city hall to tighten the security. Tajonera added that they would close three of the four entrances to the city hall during the day. "Yung entrance po dati sa all four corners ay isa na lang ang pinapayagan dito [We would only allow entrance on one of the corners ]," he told dzBB radio in an interview. Tajonera, however, said that bomb disposal units have already scoured the city hall but did not find any explosives. "Wala po naman na nakita dito [We did not find any]." Tajonera added that despite the reported bomb threat, it was still “business as usual" at the city hall. This was echoed by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who merely dismissed the reported bomb threat as a hoax. "Business as usual sa city hall. Dapat hindi patulan yung mga ganitong kalokohan [It was business as usual at the city hall. We should not pay attention to such threats]," Lim said in a separate interview on dzBB. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV