Unattended attache case causes bomb scare in Naga City

Naga City had a scare Friday afternoon amid the Peñafrancia festivities after an attache case suspected to contain a bomb was left near a hospital.

In a report to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 5 police director, acting Naga city police director Sr. Supt. Julius Muñez said the unattended bag was found at the entrance gate of Naga Imaging Center Cooperative(NICC) Doctor's Hospital along Diversion Road, Barangay Triangulo, Naga City at 2:45 pm.

Muñez, together with Camarines Sur Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Wilfredo Pornillos,  22 Infantry Battalion Commander Col. Michael Buhat, Camarines Sur Coast Guard Station Commander Lt. Marlowe Acevedo, and other officials responded to the alarm.

Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) and K9 personnel were dispatched to inspect the content of the small attaché case.

Muñez said the K9 dog sat on the bag twice prompting the EOD personnel to scan its content and found wires and electrical gadgets.

A closed-circuit television footage of the hospital showed that at about 1:26 pm, 38-year old Benjamin Callo, sound specialist of the City Events and Public Information Office (CEPPO) in Naga City, and his wife entered the ATM booth and stepped out at 1:40 pm.

The couple left behind the attaché case outside the ATM booth.

Further investigation showed that Callo and his wife unintentionally left the attache case.

Callo told the police that he made a cash transaction at the ATM booth. He forgot that he had with him his black microphone case.

Muñez said Callo, who said he had many concerns regarding preparations for the fiesta, admitted his negligence and that it was not his intention to cause undue concern for this.

The sound specialist has already apologized to Muñez, Naga City Mayor John Bongat, and management of NICC Doctor’s Hospital through Dr. Sonny Rañola. — BAP, GMA News