Bomb scare disrupts clearance operations at NBI-Manila headquarters

A bomb scare briefly disrupted the National Bureau of Investigation's clearance processing operations after someone left a plastic bag at the clearance section at NBI headquarters in Manila. NBI fingerprint examiner Rogelio Liwanag said he saw the plastic bag at a bench in the waiting area and took action after noticing that the it went unclaimed for more than an hour. The NBI clearance section is usually crowded with applicants seeking NBI clearances for various purposes, including travel and job applications. But Liwanag said they managed to clear the area by telling the applicants there was a glitch with the equipment. "Aware kami baka sumabog (pero ang tanong ko), 'o, kaninong baon ito, pakikuha naman' (We were aware it might explode but I took care not to cause a scare by making it appear someone left his or her food behind)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. Operations resumed before noon, two hours after the "suspicious" plastic bag was examined and found to contain a sachet of coffee mix, according to a separate report on dzBB radio. "We suspended clearance operations briefly but did not let the applicants know the reason why. We said we temporarily suspended the operations because of a glitch," Liwanag said. — LBG, GMA News