THE proliferation of the alleged ammunition planting-cum-extortion incidents at the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) is hurting the local tourism industry, with foreign and local travelers expressing their fears of using Manila’s main gateway.
Over the past week, there were several incidents of reported detention of individuals allegedly caught with a round of ammunition in their hand-carry luggage. A number of these people, however, denied owning the rounds, and claimed that airport personnel tried to extort money from them.
This is a potential setback for the tourism department, especially since it is currently intensifying its efforts to meet its targets of generating $4.6 billion in tourism revenues, attracting 6 million tourists, and creating 3 million jobs by 2016. Such figures will allow the tourism industry to contribute 6.35 percent to the GDP.
A number of employees of the Department of Transportation and Communications’ Office of Transportation Security (OTS) allegedly plant live ammunition in the handcarry bags of unsuspecting passengers, and later threaten them of imprisonment if they fail to pay a certain amount of money.
Several groups have already assailed these incidents, saying that practices of corruption at the airport—even at the grassroots level—is an open secret.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya said he has already deployed a team that will take charge of these incidents, saying that such corrupt acts shall not be tolerated by his office.
“We are definitely conducting an investigation, and will not tolerate this tanim-bala operation. We have terminated and have filed charges against OTS and airport personnel before, and we will not hesitate to do it again,” he said.
Such allegations are so rampant, that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines had to issue tips on how to avoid such incidents.
Passengers are advised to monitor their bags, and never permit strangers to handle them. Zippers, pouches and pockets of their luggage must also be locked and sealed.
Once these bags pass through the metal detector and x-ray machines, passengers should always pick their bags up immediately. Passengers should also demand that they check their luggage themselves.
The air-safety regulator has also required all OTS security personnel to wear white gloves while on duty.
“Possession of empty shells isn’t a crime under Philippine law. These passengers are allowed to leave, but shells are confiscated because other countries might have harsher laws. But possession of live ammo is a crime even if it is just one live round and without a gun. It is the law of the land, and failure to file a complaint can make OTS personnel liable,” Abaya explained.
While others vehemently denied bringing live ammunition to the airport, Japanese national Kazunobu Sakamoto, according to the Cabinet official, admitted that the rounds were his.
“The Japanese citizen admitted he came from a firing range and got two rounds as souvenir and forgot they were in his jacket. On the day we inspected, there were two passengers in Terminal 2 who admitted they owned the live ammo because they were their amulets and believed they provided protection,” he said.
Several lawmakers and labor groups have called for the immediate and thorough investigation of the said incidents, calling on airport officials to step down from office to save them from further shaming.
4 comments
Tourism industry sa Pinas dapat isara na. Kung di masulusyonan at mapakulong ang mga taong maker ng laglag bala sa NAIA….para di na rin maperwisyo…
Dapat lahat ng bansa sa mundo na merong mga turista na gustong pumunta ng Pinas, ban nila ang biyahe at maglagay din ng travel advisory para iwasan ang bansa.
fire everyone at the OTS, AVSECOM and the NAIA management!!!..what a bunch of A-holes
“I don’t run away from a good fight,” Honrado said. What “fight” is he talking about “fight against the Filipino people” who are clamoring for his resignation for his incompetence, ineptitude and corrupt ways of managing NAIA! Will Honrado become another Purisima as bosom buddies, PNOY will DEFEND HIS FRIENDS all cost! What a SHAME PNOY’S ADMINISTRATION has become!
IF ABAYA KNOWS about this MODUS OPERANDI then what is he DOING ABOUT IT to RESOLVE THIS BULLET PLANTING CRISIS? ABAYA should be SUSPENSDED then SACKED for dereliction of DUTY!
If this ADMINISTRATION can’t even resolve this issue ASAP, WE CAN ALREADY PREDICT what is going to happen if PNOY’s pet MAR ROXAS will be RUNNING or RUINING the COUNTRY!
IT will be MORE OF THE SAME! NO to PNOY’S HANDLING of this BULLET CRISIS! NO TO MAR ROXAS! “LAGLAG BALA sa NAIA!” “LAGLAG si MAR SA ELECTION!”
What a SHAME this PNOY ADMINISTRATION HAS BECOME? WHAT A LEGACY?!