CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- An assistant coach of a Philippine Basketball League (PBL) team was arrested at Cagayan de Oro airport on Friday for cracking a bomb joke.
Alvin A. Grey, assistant coach of Ascof-Lagundi, one of the teams that played in the PBL-Liga Pilipinas tournament held here on Monday until Friday, was arrested Friday morning at Lumbia Airport by the airport police.
Grey was supposed to board a Cebu Pacific flight at 6:15 a.m. bound for Manila.
Airport police told reporters that prior to the arrest, Grey allegedly got mad when told by a crew of Cebu Pacific to pay his excess baggage.
Grey allegedly scolded the flight attendant and declared there is bomb in his luggage saying, "Huwag n'yong galawin ang bag ko, may bomba diyan (Don't touch my bag, there's a bomb there)," which sent alarm to airport personnel and other passengers of the airline.
As a standard operating procedure, Grey was taken by the police for questioning and was detained for a few hours at the airport.
Under Presidential Decree 1727, it is considered unlawful the malicious dissemination of false information or willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives or any similar device or means of destruction. It is punishable by five years imprisonment and a fine of P40,000.
The police said Grey was set for an inquest Friday at 2 p.m. at the City Prosecutor's Office. (Annabelle L. Ricalde of Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)