Bomb scare delays flight to Singapore

A warning about a bomb inside a Boeing 777-300 plane going to Singapore yesterday turned out to be a hoax, but still prompted airport officials to order off the aircraft all 199 passengers, who had to wait and line up at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) tarmac as their baggage were re-inspected.

Retired Brig. Gen. Angel Atutubo, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager for security and emergency services, said he was informed of bomb threats made to the local Singapore Airlines office in Makati City and the Airport Security Center at the NAIA complex shortly before 1 p.m.

He immediately ordered a thorough screening for bombs and explosives on Flight SQ-073 originally scheduled to depart for Singapore at 2:15 p.m.

Atutubo said the two calls were both made by a male caller, who identified himself as Omar Abdullah of Maharlika Village in Taguig City.

In one of the calls, Abdullah warned that a seaman was carrying a bomb which he would detonate 30 minutes after the plane takes off from Singapore.

The caller said that he received the information after overhearing three Muslim-looking men with long hair at a restaurant supposedly talking about the bombing of the said flight.

Abdullah had reportedly declined to reveal information about himself, only saying that he was concerned for the passengers of the flight.

Atutubo noted that at the time of the call, the Singapore Airlines aircraft had not arrived at the NAIA from its Singapore-Manila leg.

The flight arrived on schedule at around 1:15 p.m.

He coordinated with Singapore Airlines for a thorough inspection of the plane after the passengers were told to go down to the tarmac.

Passengers with check-in baggage were asked to go to the baggage holding area to identify their baggage for a second inspection. Hand-carried bags of passengers were also subjected to a thorough inspection.

The screening of the Boeing 777, as well as the inspection of the bags of all passengers and crew of Flight 073 yielded no bomb or explosives.

The aircraft took off for Singapore at around 4:30 p.m.