Ex-flight stewardess held for bomb threat

MANILA, Philippines — A former television personality and flight stewardess was arrested by policemen in Quezon City yesterday on allegations she sent a bomb threat to an airline company.

Operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) arrested Janette Alano Tulagan at her home in Barangay Holy Spirit at around 3:45 p.m.

ACG director Chief Superintendent Marni Marcos Jr. said policemen carried a copy of a search warrant against Tulagan for a violation of Presidential Decree 1727 or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Anti-Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Marcos said the operation stemmed from the complaint of a local airline company that received a bomb threat via email last July from a certain Sahid Abubakar. The ACG was able to trace the IP address to Tulagan’s cell phone.

“A search warrant was then secured by the ACG,” he said in a text message.

Policemen confiscated Tulagan’s cell phone, which she allegedly used in sending the bomb threat, and a modem router.

A background investigation on Tulagan revealed she has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Parañaque City metropolitan trial court for violating the anti-bouncing checks law.

Marcos said they have yet to determine motive of Tulagan, who used to have a program in a local television network in the 1990s.