THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is conducting further investigation to identify the person who made prank calls on Wednesday, February 3, that halted the operation of Banco de Oro’s (BDO) Bacolod Plaza branch on Araneta-Gonzaga-Streets.

Chief Inspector Dianne Catedral, public information officer of BCPO, said Thursday, February 4, that personnel of Police Station 1 are coordinating with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company to trace the source of the calls.

Around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, bank manager Jose Ocampo received a call from an unidentified man who said he left a bomb inside the bank, and that it would explode soon.

An hour later, assistant marketing officer Alex Dular answered a call from a male caller, who relayed the same message. The bank management then sought assistance from the police.

Police did not find any bombs in the bank.

“It was purely a prank call,” Catedral said.

She said that those who make prank calls will face criminal charges because they cause alarm to the public.

Catedral appealed to the managements of banks, business establishments, terminals, and ports to be vigilant and to report any abandoned bags to police. (MAP)