ROXAS City – A bomb threat that came in an email in the wee hours last Friday rattled a popular hotel in Barangay Banica.
The email sender, which supposedly had control over the bomb, demanded a huge amount in exchange for not detonating the explosive, according to the management of Kapis Mansions.
After guests and the staff evacuated, authorities swept the hotel for two hours but did not find any bomb. They declared the threat was a hoax.
Hotel manager Kenneth Gonzales told this writer the email came in at past 2 a.m. from “Jammal Graver,” who used the email address janine@brfrutnol.com.
According to the email sender, there was a tiny bomb planted in the hotel, and the management must deposit $20,000 in his bitcoin wallet “before working hours end,” or they will detonate the bomb, Gonzales said.
The explosion could cause severe damage to the building and injuries on people, according to the email, Gonzales said.
“Upon reading the email, gin-report namon insigida sa police authorities. The threat could be real,” Gonzales said.
Police said they received the report at around 8 a.m. and headed to the hotel to cordon the area at around 9.
Guests and the hotel staff were forced to temporarily leave the hotel premises while the police and the K9 unit of the Philippine Coast Guard checked the establishment.
Police were going after the culprit. Superintendent Dante Tayco, city police chief, said they forwarded their initial investigation to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and requested for technical assistance.
“We need IT (information technology) experts from the CIDG to help in our investigation,” Tayco told this writer.
Tayco declared the building was “clean” after the two-hour inspection./PN
