Bomb threat to Philippine airports 'likely a hoax', police say

An anonymous bomb threat that prompted the Philippines to put all its commercial airports on heightened security alert is "most likely a hoax", the aviation police chief said on Friday. Authorities ordered 42 airports across the country to step up security after receiving an anonymous email threat that planes flying out of Manila to several tourist destinations could explode. Despite the alert, the country's main international airport, in Manila, and its two biggest airlines were operating as normal, and Transport Minister Jaime Bautista said no flight delays were expected. Extra police and canine patrols were deployed at Manila terminals as part of "immediate enhanced security measures" at airports, authorities said, adding the threat was being verified. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) said airports had been ordered on Wednesday to step up security "following bomb threats". It added air traffic services received an anonymous email about a threat to flights from Manila to Davao, Bicol and the tourist regions of Palawan and Cebu. In a memo dated Oct. 4 but released to media on Friday, the CAAP referred to a screenshot of the emailed threat, which did not contain the word "bomb" but said "an airplane will explode" at Manila's international airport and "please beware". "Cebu, Palawan, Bicol and Davao will also be hit," the anonymous email said.<br/>