Bomb threats hit 3 Insular Life offices

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) evacuated yesterday employees of a pre-need company in Metro Manila after its offices received separate bomb threats.

NCRPO intelligence chief Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr. said they are now investigating the bomb threats made at the main office of the Insular Life Assurance Co. in Makati City and its two branches in Muntinlupa City and Quezon City.

"Our initial findings showed that the company has neither a pending complaint nor a labor problem," Rojas said in an interview.

First to receive a call was the company’s branch located along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City at about 9:30 a.m. Branch manager Lilibeth Co received the call, Rojas said.

The branch at Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang, Muntinlupa received the second threat while the main office on Ayala Avenue in Makati City received one at 10 a.m.

Rojas said the NCRPO implemented standard procedures during bomb threat situations.

"Responding elements of the explosives and ordnance divisions (EODs) looked for unusual packages in the three offices," he said.

Quezon City Police District bomb squads rushed to the company’s office on Quezon Avenue, while the Southern Police District (SPD), under Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia, responded to the Makati and Muntinlupa alarms.

After bomb squads found no unusual packages, they conducted a paneling of the building using bomb-sniffing dogs.

"Our search for bombs yielded negative results," said Rojas, adding that the evacuated employees were ordered back to their offices after an hour.