Aquino orders NBI, PNP to catch prank callers

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañan wants to put to a stop the placing of prank calls of bomb scares such as the one that involved the Makati Stock Exchange at the heart of the Ayala business district in Makati on Thursday.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima bared that President Benigno Aquino III gave orders for the creation of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Philippine National Police (PNP) unit to run after groups and personalities who cause bomb scares.

"The president has instructed the creation of a special PNP-NBI unit, kahit maliit lang na unit, to run after yung may mga kagagawan ng bomb scare. Initially, they are also part of terroristic acts until ma-validate na prank lang pala. In any case, the effect is the same. For example, yung kahapon sa Ayala, and that is the premier business district of the country," De Lima said.

"Instruction ni Presidente na talagang hanapin ang may kagagawan ng ganyan because hindi sila nakakatulong, nakakadagdag sila sa tense situation," De Lima said.

The justice chief said bomb scares directed at commercial centers and business establishments, which disrupt normal operations and the normal conduct of doing business, may even fall under economic sabotage and may possibly be penalized under the Human Security Act.

"How would you know kung totoo o hindi ang mga tawag na ganyan? So initially, they are also part of the terroristic acts until mavalidate na prank lang pala," De Lima said.

AN ABS-CBN News report aired over TV Patrol on Thursday revealed the Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) emergency 117 call center receives some 13,000 emergency calls and tips per day, but 98% of these are mere prank calls.

"So, we are issuing this stern warning to all those persons, personalities or groups who are behind (these prank calls)," De Lima said.

The justice chief reminded the public of Presidential Decree (PD) 1727 which declares as unlawful "the malicious dissemination of false information of the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives or any similar device or means of destruction and imposing penalties."

Under this decree, "any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail, telephone, telegraph, printed materials and other instrument or means of communication, willfully makes any threat or maliciously conveys, communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminates false information, knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, by means of explosives, incendiary devices, and other destructive forces of similar nature or characteristics, shall upon conviction be punished with imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, or a fine or not more than forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00) or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense...."

The decree also authorizes the Arrest, Search and Seizure Order (ASSO) of violators without an entitlement to bail pending trial by military tribunals or military courts which have exclusive jurisdiction over cases violative of the provisions of the decree.

Malacañan, through Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, yesterday told ABS-CBN News "it's very unpatriotic for those who sow fear and spread his hoax at this time."

The Department of Justice assures that rights will be respected even as those behind bomb scares and similar prank calls shall be dealt with accordingly.

"We have to be careful also about possible violations of constitutional and human rights, but as it is, kailangan maging conscious tayo dyan na certain sectors are taking advantage of situations like that na nagkaroon ng insidenteng ganyan tapos dadagdagan pa yung apprehensions, yung takot ng community, ng populace," De Lima said. (report from Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News)