The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) released yesterday the results of a joint investigation into an alleged tanim-bala (bullet-planting) incident that happened at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) Terminal 3 last week.
The DOTr-MIAA released the results as a response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for all concerned agencies to submit a report regarding the incident, which was divulged in a viral Facebook post written last week by the passenger involved, identified as Kristine Bumanglag-Moran. Moran was at the airport to catch a domestic flight bound for Zamboanga when a bullet was allegedly found in her luggage.
The statement, posted by the DOTr on its Facebook page, says: “Prior to check in, passenger Kristine Buman[g]lag-Moran, along with her mother and daughter, passed through initial security screening at Gate 2. Ms. Buman[g]lag’s brown bag was subjected to baggage search after the X-ray operator observed an image of an ammunition. Note that at this point, the bag was still wrapped in plastic.”
Continued the post: “After completing the procedural aspects of screening, Ms. Buman[g]lag removed the clear plastic wrap of the bag in question. A search was conducted in the presence of Ms. Buman[g]lag, and a video was taken by a screening personnel to allay fears of a ‘tanim-bala‘ (bullet-planting) scheme.
“The inspection resulted in the recovery of one piece of live ammunition for caliber 9mm. Ms. Buman[g]lag was informed of this, and was told that the item will be confiscated. Ms. [Bumanglag] was also assured by the screening personnel that after documentation, she and her companions will be allowed to board their flight bound for Zamboanga. Unfortunately, even after these assurances, Ms. Buman[g]lag created a scene and uttered foul allegations to the airport personnel, which she also posted on Facebook.”
The DOTr assured the public that there was no irregularity involved in incident: “Such as the case of Ms. Buman[g]lag, the items were confiscated and the incidents were documented. After which, passengers were allowed to board their flight.”
The DOTr was not remiss in adding a juicy tidbit, possibly in an effort to explain the existence of the bullet in Bumanlag’s bag: “Research also found that Ms. Buman[g]lag’s father is a retired Marine, while his brother is with the Philippine National Police.”
You can read the complete statement from the DOTr below:
One netizen, Michael Cujardo Diez, criticised the DOTr-MIAA for its statement: “Don’t tell me that the victim’s dad or brother purposely inserted a bullet on their daughter/sister’s baggage? Certainly there’s something fishy going on here.”
One netizen meanwhile speculated that the incident might have been a ploy of the opposition. An Elizer Saducas Calinawan wrote: “Is it a ploy of the retired military personnel under previous Yellow [opposition] government to disturbed [sic] the peace and quiet at the NAIA?”
The DOTr-MIAA also released a statement today where it summarized the important points of the above post in Filipino.
Last night, Moran posted her own statement as a response to DOTr-MIAA’s investigation, where she wrote: “It was surprising that my luggage has a bullet when the same luggage passed thru the Zamboanga International airport on May 28, 2018 going to Manila without any delay in short there was no bullet inside.”
Moran also said her father and brother are both “very well versed with the rules and regulations implemented on airports and seaports especially to the carrying of fire arms (sic) and ammunitions.”
Her brother, she wrote, did not come in contact with her luggage. She said: “The presumption that the DOTR made that there is a possibility that the bullet inside my luggage was there because of the nature of work of my father and brother is absolutely baseless and unfair!”
Reports of bullet planting incidents were rife in 2015, with 30 incidents reported from January to November of that year. The scheme allegedly involved airport officials putting bullets inside the luggage and bags of passengers, then extorting exorbitant fees from passengers if they wish to be cleared of any wrongdoings.
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