An item left by a passenger inside a bus alarmed travelers at the terminal in General Santos City morning on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

The bus had just arrived at past 8 a.m. and the passengers had just disembarked when the conductor, who was clearing the vehicle, saw the item -- a thin, cylindrical object with wires.

He alerted authorities and the bomb squad of the Philippine National Police responded quickly.

“Nag-clearing na ang conductor sulod sa iyang unit… that’s the time nakit-an niya katong daot nga flashligt and battery na may nga wire daw… unusual sa iyahang panan-aw kay, usually, ang mga bilin mga wallet, mga cellphone, so gi-report niya sa PNP,” said Marianne Anas, OIC-Head of the General Santos City Bus Terminal.

After examination, the object turned out to be an old flashlight - to the relief of authorities and travelers.

Anas said the incident stirred the terminal as people could not help but be concerned, especially that there were those who went live on social media with insufficient information to share.

“Oo, siyempre, mabulabog man gud ka unya naa pay uban nga naga-live pud so dili ba gyud siya dapat kasi mag-panic ang mga pasahero,” Anas said.

While thankful that the object was not an improvised explosive device, the police urged the public not to spread unverified information.

It also advised the public to report suspicious items to the police immediately so that appropriate action could be taken.