Vietnam-bound senior accosted for alleged 'anting-anting' bullet at NAIA

A 69-year old woman set to travel to Vietnam with her family is accusing security personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) of “tanim bala” or bullet planting just as about they were about to board their flight.

In Dano Tingcungco report in Sunday’s 24 Oras Weekend, cellphone video footage taken last March 6, 2025, shows family members hastily searching their bags at NAIA's pre-departure area even as their flight was already boarding.

In a social media post that has gone viral, 69-year old Ruth Adel said she and her family almost missed their flight after NAIA security claimed they have an x-ray image of an “anting-anting” or amulet in the form of a bullet casing inside their luggage.

However a physical inspection of the said bag did not find any bullet casing.

“Sobrang abala yung ginawa niyo (You put us through a lot of inconvenience)!”, Adel told the group of NAIA security personnel who accosted them.

The family asked NAIA security that if there was indeed a spent bullet in their luggage, shouldn’t they have been stopped at the first x-ray that detected it and not at the boarding gate.

Eventually, Ruth and her companions managed to board their flight and reach their destination.

However, she said the incident raised her blood pressure.

When reached for comment, the Office of Transportation Security declined to issue a statement Sunday but said they will give their side during a press conference scheduled for Monday with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon.

The Manila International Airport Authority and DOTr have no response as of the publishing of this story. — RF, GMA Integrated News