Kota Kinabalu - Day 1A - BOMB SCARE IN KOTA KINABALU AIRPORT (Jan 31, 2011)

I arrived Kota Kinabalu International Airport on time via Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 733, around 5:50 PM today. However, our plane was held like 200 meters away from the main runway. Then we were dragged to a side runway. We were all standing inside the plane, ready to jump out of excitement, but the pilot kept on announcing that there are things yet to fix and a vehicle would transport us to the airport building. Then after 30 minutes the front door was opened and some rode the pick up but many were left behind walking away from our plane. The man with a walky talky called our pilot and spoke to him in English. I was the one who closely followed them, and I heard the Malaysian airport officer this phrase, "bomb disposal."

I was nervous and scared and I told the other Pinoys who also followed me. We saw the airport runways surrounded by policemen, patrol cars, firetrucks, etc. We realized there's something wrong in the scenario. Then after 30 minutes while waiting inside the van we were brought to a baggage pick up room and were told to fall in line. We thought there was a bomb in another plane but it was on our plane. Our things were searched one by one from cellphones, laptop batteries, wallets, passports, everything. Our bodies were searched too. Then after 30 minutes they told us to fall in line by 10's. They got our passports and list our names again and compared it to the manifest.

Then after few minutes, they would let us fall in line again. We noticed that they didn't know what to do. Everything and everybody were searched and we were still held hungry, tired, sleepy, thirsty, etc. Kids were crying.

After our luggage and the plane were searched, we picked up our luggage and proceeded to the immigration. It took us 3 long hours for the said search and checking. There was no bomb found.

An unknown caller called the KK airport that a bomb was carried in our plane. That might be a call from a stupid joker, but the authorities would not consider this a joke, that's why they did their part, than regretting after.