Bomb threat grips Bureau of Immigration building in Manila

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – A bomb threat sent via text message forced the evacuation at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) building in Intramuros, Manila this morning.

BI officer-in-charge Ronald Ledesma said he asked the National Bureau of Investigation to send in a bomb squad to inspect the building.

"I received a forwarded copy of the text message that claimed a bomb would explode at the BI at 9 a.m. I ordered the building evacuated and called in the National Bureau of Investigation," Ledesma said in a radio interview.

Ledesma said he ordered the BI Intelligence Division to supervise the evacuation of employees from the building at Intramuros.

Ledesma said the last time a bomb threat hit the BI was in 2000.