Three detained in Philippines over bomb joke during pope’s visit

A man and three women have been held under a law that penalises 'pranksters' who make false reports about bombs – a crime punishable up to five years in jail or a fine of Dh3,300 or both.

MANILA // Philippine police arrested three people for cracking jokes about a bomb while on their way to attend Pope Francis’s mass in Manila.

A man and two women were arrested at a police checkpoint on Sunday s they were heading to the mass in Rizal Park, said officer Alberto de Guzman of Manila police radio control office on Tuesday.

As they went through the checkpoint, witnesses heard one of them saying, “Hey, I’ve got a bomb. Why didn’t you detect it?”

His companions also joked about carrying guns, Mr de Guzman said.

“They were making fun of the police officers. If people had heard them, it could have caused a stampede,” he said.

The three are being held under a law that penalises “pranksters” who make false reports about bombs – a crime punishable up to five years in jail or a fine of Dh3,300 or both.

Security was tight during the five-day visit of Pope Francis to the devoutly Catholic Philippines, with police and soldiers on alert to control the massive crowds. A record six million people attended the mass in Rizal Park on Sunday.

The pope returned to the Vatican on Monday, with his trip hailed as a huge success.

* Agence France-Presse