Bomb scare disrupts UP law classes

A bomb scare disrupted classes early yesterday morning at the University of the Philippines’ College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City.

But what was thought to be a dangerous explosive turned out to be a dud.

Senior Inspector Ramon Pranada, chief of the Central Police District-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, said the styrofoam box measuring five by eight inches contained a PCV board with complete electrical wirings, a small plastic bag with an unknown substance, and a transmitter antenna. However, it lacked the main component to make a bomb, he said. The SWAT team destroyed the box through controlled blasting.

School officials immediately suspended classes while police authorities inspected the "bomb."

Investigation showed that at around 10:30 a.m., school security guard Roel Romansanta, 28, heard a loud popping sound outside the Malcolm Building where the College of Law is located.

Checking, Romansanta said he saw what remained of a dirty white balloon scattered on the front lawn facing the university’s Sunken Garden.

He called a janitor to clean up the mess but they discovered a box tied at the end of the balloon’s string. Electrical wirings were protruding from the box and a couple of AA batteries were attached to it as well. This prompted Romansanta to call the UP police, which in turn alerted the SWAT team. – Nikko Dizon