Dear PAO,

I am currently a college student in one of the big universities. I was lining up in the cafeteria when I overheard one of the students talking about their April Fool’s Day prank. One of them mentioned that they wanted to cause a stir by having a text blast that a bomb had been planted in one of the rooms so as to cause class suspension. May I know if there is a law against this kind of joke?

Flip

Dear Flip,

Please be informed of Section 1 of Presidential Decree (PD) 1727 or the “Anti-Bomb Joke Law” which states that:

“Section 1. Any person who, by word of mouth or through the use of the mail, telephone, telegraph, printed materials and other instrument or means of communication, willfully makes any threat or maliciously conveys, communicates, transmits, imparts, passes on, or otherwise disseminates false information, knowing the same to be false, concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, by means of explosives, incendiary devices, and other destructive forces of similar nature or characteristics, shall upon conviction be punished with imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, or a fine or not more than forty thousand pesos (P40,000.00) or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the offense herein defined and penalized.”

Based on the above-stated law, it is illegal for any person to disseminate any false information or prank about causing harm to persons or damage to property by means of explosives or other destructive devices through word of mouth, use of mail, phone calls, telegraph, printed materials, and other means of communication, whether merely intended as a joke or otherwise. In the situation that you stated, the student is prohibited under the law from sending text messages or other means of communication to other people about a bomb that was allegedly planted in one of the rooms in their school even as a prank, considering that said information is false and they are well aware of the fact that said information is untrue.

This particular kind of joke is not allowed under PD 1727 as this may affect the peace and order in said place and may cause panic among the individuals present in the school which may later on result to more harm. Among others, it is the mandate of the government to disallow any acts that pose a grave and positive danger to public safety and security, and to immediately adopt and enforce adequate and effective measures to curb these criminal acts and activities. For such an end, the ultimate goal is to deter the radicals and other lawless elements in the country from pursuing their destructive designs and their heinous aims and ends.

In this regard, if the student you mentioned or any other person be convicted of committing any violation of the aforementioned law, he or she shall be punished with imprisonment of not more than five years, or a fine of not more than P40,000 or both at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction over the case, as provided under Section 1 thereof.

We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.