A party-list legislator was briefly held at the airport on Thursday afternoon for allegedly making a bomb joke while checking in for his flight.
Rep. Sergio Dagooc was held by aviation police at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal II after allegedly saying there was a bomb in his bag.
“I did not crack a bomb joke. What I said was money bands, but the woman at the counter heard it as bomb,” Dagooc said in an interview.
In a statement, Philippine Airlines said the incident involving Dagooc was most unfortunate.
“We appeal to all our passengers to refrain from uttering statements which may cause undue concern, alarm, and panic. PAL, the Aviation Security Group and our civil aviation authorities do not take such utterances lightly,” the airline said.
“We confirm that Congressman Sergio Dagooc checked in for his PR2525 flight for Cagayan de Oro yesterday [July 25]. When the PAL check-in agent asked him regarding the contents of his luggage, he replied “clothes” and was eventually asked what else was inside, to which he replied “bomba” [bomb].”
Dagooc, who speaks with an accent so thick you could slice it with a knife, said he told the woman at the counter that he had “money bands” in his hand-carry bag, but the woman misheard it as bomb.
Dagooc was asked why his bag was heavy, but he did not elaborate on how much money he was carrying in his bag.
“My hand-carry bag exceeded the allowable weight for hand carry baggage from the maximum seven kilos to 11 kilos,” said Dagooc who was allowed to take his flight later. With Joel E. Zurbano
He said he never identified himself as a congressman. Nor would he use his position to violate the law.
While the constitutional provision on parliamentary immunity does not spare a legislator from being liable for criminal offenses with six years imprisonment below, any senator or congressman may not be arrested while Congress is in session.
Presidential Decree 1727, or the anti-bomb joke law, provides five years imprisonment or a fine of P40,000 or both, depending on the court’s ruling, against violators. With Joel E. Zurbano
