Bomb threat prompts evacuation at immigration office

A bomb threat sent via text message forced the evacuation at the Bureau of Immigration building in Manila's Intramuros district Monday morning. BI officer-in-charge Ronald Ledesma said he asked the National Bureau of Investigation to send in a bomb squad to inspect the building. "Finorward sa akin ang kopya ng text, sabi 9 a.m. may sasabog sa Bureau. Minarapat kong utusan ang tao kong mag-evacuate at nag-coordinate kami sa NBI para dalhan ng bomb squad (I received a forwarded copy of the text message that claimed a bomb would explode at the BI at 9 a.m. I ordered the building evacuated and called in the NBI)," Ledesma said in an interview on dzBB radio. Ledesma, who was at the Department of Justice for a meeting, said he was informed of the bomb threat while guesting at a radio station. He said he ordered the BI Intelligence Division to supervise the evacuation of employees from the building at Intramuros. NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula sent a bomb squad to the area, he said. Ledesma said the last time a bomb threat hit the BI was in 2000. Only last week, a bomb threat hit the nearby Colegio de San Juan de Letran campus, forcing the suspension of classes for the day. — RSJ, GMANews.TV