ILOILO City – A resident of Malinao, Aklan was arrested over a bomb joke on social media.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Malinao police arrested Angelo Iglesias Macabare of Barangay Banay-banay on Wednesday, May 17.
In a report by Radyo Todo Aklan, Police Captain Gelbert Batiles of Malinao PNP said Macabare commented in one of the National Privacy Commission’s (NPC) posts on Facebook that a bomb was about to explode near its office at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
“Time bomb set on your building starts now,” read the comment by Macabare using a Facebook account named Angelo Iglesias.
The NPC said it received the bomb threat past 11 a.m. The PICC was declared clear of any explosives at 4:59 p.m. on the same day by the Pasay City police.
The incident was reported by the NPC to the Cybercrime Unit to locate the suspect.
Subsequently, the NBI coordinated with the Malinao PNP, and an entrapment was carried out.
Macabare was arrested while at work in Barangay Badio, Numancia, Aklan.
The suspect claimed he was not aware that the law prohibits bomb jokes. He is facing charges for violating Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012./PN