THE Manila International Airport Authority has decided to remove the disposal booths or cubicles which served as passengers’ luggage checking station before entering security screening checkpoints at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The cubicle dubbed as the “Last Look Booth” was installed supposedly to help passengers dispose of items the airport authorities prohibit such as gun, bullets, knife and other deadly weapons and prevent delayed flights.
“The booths were removed because the passengers keep ignoring it (sic), while more and more passengers are being caught for bringing in banned items,” said a MIAA public information officer.
On Friday, two more Chinese travelers bound for Macau and Shanghai were apprehended after they were found carrying 12 empty bullets.
Cheng Li Tan was about to board his Philippine Airlines flight PR-352 for Macau “©at Naia Terminal 2 around 11:45 a.m. when screening supervising officers discovered eight empty shells of .45 caliber inside his luggage.
Li Haonan, on the other hand, was found carrying pieces of empty 5.56 mm bullets, .45 caliber and .22 caliber at Naia Terminal 3.
The foreigners explained they kept the empty shells as souvenir items from the Philippines. They were allowed to board their flight after documentation.
Octogenarian Fidela Galinato, of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija was also caught in possession of a live ammunition, also of a .45 caliber firearm, while she was about to board her flight for Bangkok also on Friday morning.
Just recently, Qin Wei, also a Chinese national, was caught with two empty shells of .22 caliber, one empty shell of .9 mm pistol and one of .45 caliber. He was about to board Air Asia Z218 flight to Shanghai around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Naia Terminal 3 when screening found the four empty shells in his possession.
Amid the numerous apprehension of air travelers caught in possession of bullets and other prohibited items, the airport authority said there was no syndicate or erring personnel doing the so-called “tanim-bala.”
Based on records, 1, 214 cases of passengers caught with bullets listed in 2012 increased in 2013 with 2,184. The figure declined in 2014 with 1,813 cases and continued to drop in 2015.
Those who were apprehended mostly “used” the live ammunition and empty bullets as souvenirs, necklaces, talismans or amulets
Airport officials have ordered the installation of additional close circuit television cameras to monitor personnel screening the luggage of passengers.
They also imposed a “no touch” policy to prevent incidents of “bullet-planting.”
