Home-made “bomb” Found at Court Room of Judge Aguilar

LAOAG CITY – Tension gripped the Marcos Hall of Justice here early Monday morning when an improvised explosive was found inside the court room of the Regional Trial Court’s Branch 11.

Police Supt. Marlou Chan, Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Director, said the firecracker-type explosive was placed in two separate bottles.

Chan said the “explosive” was found by a janitor near the chair of Judge Charles Aguilar, Branch 11 presiding judge.
“The explosive was improvised. We sent our bomb squad to inspect the building and declared it safe for employees and officials,” he said.

Chan said the incident may have been the work of a court insider noting that no one could enter the building without going through security checks.

“The incident may have something do to with internal office differences,” Chan added.

The discovery of the homemade devise, however, was enough to send workers rushing out of the building.

It was the second incident that the court proceedings were disrupted due to bomb threat. Court employees were sent home on November 9 when a note warned that bombs were planted inside the building.

Another bomb scare sent employees rushing out of the Capitol building two weeks later due to a text message saying that a bomb was going to blow the structure. (CRISTINA ARZADON)