Thursday, August 23, 2007 Bomb threat causes panic at King's Hotel
JUST as 28 guests King's Hotel were about to retire for the night at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, front desk staff Jessa Alvarado received a phone call from a voice threatening to blast the hotel.
Holding her composure, Alvarado managed to call the hotel manager and the Bacolod City Police Office who immediately responded in a matter of minutes.
Immediately, guests and night duty staff of the 45-room hotel along Gatuslao Street were ordered to leave the premises.
Police's bomb expert Denny Montoya arrived some 15 minutes later and two bomb sniffing dogs of the Philippine Coast Guard, some 45 minutes later.
According to Alvarado, the caller was a male who talked in Hiligaynon with Muslim intonation, aired the threat and hanged the phone after saying "This is not a joke but a bomb will blast (sic) in 15 minutes."
"No added sound was heard surrounding the caller’s voice but the signal is clear enough," Alvarado added.
Meanwhile, Police Station 1chief Joeresty Coronica hypothesized, "We cannot discount the possibility that this could be a diversionary tactic of terrorists. Military forces are concentrated now in Basilan. Some splintered elements can be responsible hoping to scatter the forces this way."
"The possibility of a prankster call is sometimes also a fact. In both cases, criminal charges will be filed if the identity and location of the caller is traced," Coronica said.
The help of the telephone company will also be sought. (GABS)
