The management of Shoe Mart City Baguio through its press relations officer Karren Padilla said they were satisfied with the quick response of the Baguio City Police Office on the bomb scare that gripped the city’s biggest mall Monday morning.

This, after the BCPO immediately secured the premises of SM and conducted a clearing operation after a mock improvised explosive device (IED) was reportedly left at the counter of the mall’s supermarket.

When SM received an anonymous call from a supposed prank caller claiming that there was a bomb left within the mall, management immediately alerted the BCPO, reason why a team of experts from the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Unit searched the mall premises.

No bomb was discovered but an empty canister of Pringles containing rolled pieces of paper was instead found left at the baggage counter.

No less than BCPO director S/Supt. Wilfredo Franco was at the site to supervise his men.

Padilla said that SM opened Monday noon after the mall was declared safe. The mall usually opens at 10 a.m. on regular days.

“SM is back to its normal operations after the clearing operation made by the BCPO on the bomb threat. No bomb was found. We welcome shoppers,” was the text message sent by Padilla to reporters.

Padilla in a follow-up interview Wednesday said that the number of mall goers did not decrease even after the bomb threat.

To recall, the BCPO reported that it has the capability to detonate IEDs courtesy of a set of anti-bomb devices which was turned over by the US government to the city police some time in 2005.

The set of anti-bomb devices include a bomb disrupter, X-ray gadgets, and remote-controlled bomb detonation machine.