Court proceedings at the Quezon City Hall of Justice were disrupted Friday morning, February 27, following a bomb threat, authorities said.

According to a report by RH Val Gonzales on DZRH's Operation Tulong, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said that the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 227 received the bomb threat via text message.

As of 10:20 a.m., members of the QCPD Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and K9 Unit had entered the premises to conduct a thorough inspection and paneling operation.

Meanwhile, all employees, judges, lawyers, and members of the public inside the building were ordered to leave the premises minutes after the threat was reported.

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who was also on the premises, said he was in the middle of a hearing when the alarm sounded, followed by an announcement instructing everyone to evacuate the building immediately.

According to the QCPD, authorities needed to clear each floor of the building to ensure that no one remained inside and to verify the safety of all occupants.

The incident also caused slow-moving traffic in the vicinity, as vehicles were temporarily barred from entering the area as a precautionary measure.

As of 11:10 a.m., employees are now being allowed back into the QC Hall of Justice one by one after the QCPD-EOD cleared the building, confirming that there are no explosives or bombs inside.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the bomb threat.