At least 20 more passengers were caught carrying bullets in their bags since the planting-bullet scandal broke out, thus prompting authorities to assign ballisticians to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to speed up the investigation process and avoid flight delays.
Senior Supt. Adolfo Samala, head of the Aviation Security Group-National Capital Region, said the designation of ballisticians at the airports would hasten the verification process whether the confiscated bullets were live or not.
Since Monday, airport authorities apprehended at least 20 passengers carrying bullets in their bags at Naia terminals 1, 2 and 3 amid the growing controversy over the alleged bullet-planting extortion scheme.
Most of the passengers, according to Avsegroup public information officer Chief Insp. Samuel Hojilla, were at Terminal 3.
Hojilla said a person would be apprehended for carrying bullets despite the installation of disposal booths or cubicles that serve as passengers’ luggage checking station before entering security screening checkpoints.
He added the cubicle dubbed as the “Last Look Booth” would help passengers dispose of items the airport authorities prohibit such as bullets, knife and other deadly weapons.
Some of those apprehended were released from detention after lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office intervened following confession from the passengers that they used the bullets as amulets or souvenirs.
Criminal charges in relation to the Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) were filed against the other passengers.
Last Thursday, Avsegroup personnel found a caliber .38 bullet inside the backpack of 20-year-old Chinese national Yueqiang Xu at the Naia Terminal 1. The foreigner was placed under police custody but was released later after ballistics test showed that the bullet found in his posession was not live and unfired.
On Friday, a passenger bound for Tacloban was also caught carrying five bullets, this time with a magazine, at the Naia Terminal 3. But the passenger claimed his cousin, a police officer who fetched him to the airport, owns the items found in his bag.
PAO lawyers are handling at least 40 cases of alleged bullet-possession in Naia.
PAO chief Persida Acosta earlier asked the Avsegroup personnel and members of the Office for Transportation Security not to file a case against those who will be caught with bullets used as amulets.
Meawhile, Avsegroup officials welcomed the lifestyle check to be conducted by the National Police against airport policemen allegedly involved in the bullet-planting extortion scheme.
“So far, we can’t deny that all our personnel are affected about what was happening right now here at the airport,” said Hojilla. “Actually, we, not only the Avsegroup, but also the MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) leadership are doing corrective measures.”
Avsegroup Director Pablo Balagtas said that every police officer in his area of responsibility welcomed the move. “We have nothing to hide.”
The lifestyle check, according to Police Director General Ricardo Marquez, is in accordance with the directive of President Benigno Aquino III to the PNP to take concrete steps in addressing the controversy over the “tanim-bala” modus happening at the airports.
The PNP already asked MIAA and OTS officials to furnish them documents and other papers relative to the case.