Bullet scam may have been going on for years, online accounts show

The so-called "laglag bala" scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) seems to have been going on for years, long before the recent spate of high-profile incidents.

Television personality Daphne Oseña-Paez recently related an incident involving a relative, in February this year.

"The inspectors apologized once they found out he was a priest," she said.

But allegations of extortion stemming from planted bullets have been floating around for years before that.

"Be careful at Manila Airport!" warned a 2012 post on travel forum Trip Advisor.

The poster, one "BritPaul" from the UK, said that a security agent at an unspecified "Manila Airport" extorted $1,000 from his daughter after finding a bullet casing in her bag.

"My daughter had her bag scanned on entering the airport to catch a flight. The security agent called her over and searched her bag. He "found" a bullet casing and told her there would be an investigation and that she would have to miss her flight. Obviously she was very frightened and distressed," he said.

Earlier that same year, GMA News' Victoria Tulad reported that an M16 armalite bullet was found in the bag of a frail-looking, white-haired grandmother about to board a local flight.

The woman admitted to bringing the bullet into the airport, but said that it was her "anting-anting"—a good luck charm, she said, to ward off hexes from witches.

However, unlike a recent similar case involving a 65-year-old OFW—who shed tears as she was detained, forcing her to miss her flight—the grandmother's "anting-anting" was simply confiscated and she was allowed to board.

GMA News' Sandra Aguinaldo also reported that bullets were found in the luggage of several local passengers going home for the Holy Week holidays, also in 2012.

At least one passenger admitted to having "forgotten" the ammo in his bag, whereas other cases involved bullets strung onto necklaces—also "anting-anting" charms.

In all cases, the authorities simply confiscated the bullets and let the passengers go their respective ways.

One of the most harrowing allegations of extortion comes from one "Mabel" who, in January 2011, claimed she was framed and allegedly blackmailed by NAIA inspection officers.

"Hindi ko po nakita na meron palang BALA or LIVE BULLET na hawak (ng inspection officer). Nagulat ako! Sabi ko, baket naman napunta yan dyan (sa bag ko)... imposible na ako ay mag dadala ng mga ganyan, dahil alam ko po na bawal," reads her account.

She said she was then directed to talk to an unnamed "hepe" (chief), who then attempted to extort a bribe from her.

"Ang (sabi) po ng HEPE, eh, 'pwedeng magtulungan tayo'... Sinabihan ako ng HEPE na wag (sa loob ng airport) ibigay (ang pera), don na lang sa BOS Café," she added. — RSJ, GMA News