DOTr: 3 airport employees linked to alleged ‘tanim-bala’ sacked

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has fired three employees of the Office of Transportation Security allegedly involved in the “tanim-bala” incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

This was announced by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon during a media conference Monday.

“Appropriate investigations will be conducted and the proper administrative charges will be filed after the investigation has been conducted. But now we are terminating them already today. I’ve already instructed General [OTS administrator Arthur Velasco] Bisnar to issue that order today,” Dizon said.

“We will not stand for any abuse. Any abuse will be dealt with the same result and the same swift action from us, as mandated and as ordered to us by the President himself. We will not allow this to happen,” he added. 

The termination of the employees came after a 69-year old woman set to travel to Vietnam with her family accused NAIA security personnel of “tanim bala” or bullet planting just as about they were about to board their flight on March 6.

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.

Dizon said that he also tasked OTS officials to review the procedures of screening and security protocols at the airport.

He also said that the DOTr will set up a hotline where passengers can report their experiences at NAIA.

Bisnar, for his part, said that investigation of the three OTS employees is still ongoing, but pointed out that there were irregularities evident. 

“Ang sinasabi ng ating personnel ay nagmamadaling kunin ng pasahero ang bagahe nila. So kahit may na-detect sila na mukhang basyo o bala sa x-ray, nung tinignan nila ay nakuha na ng pasahero,” he narrated.

(Our personnel say that the passengers were in a hurry to get their luggage. So when they detected something that looked like a bullet on the x-ray, the passengers had already taken their luggage.)

“Ang mali naman na ginawa ay supposedly ang SOP ay doon mismo ‘yung physical check. So may pagkukulang rin talaga ang ating mga tao dahil hinabol pa nila sa boarding gate at hindi pa nila sigurado kung sino ‘yung pasahero at anong baggage ang involved,” he added.

(The mistake of our personnel was that they should’ve done the physical check right then and there. So our personnel really made a mistake because they even chased the passengers to the boarding gate and they weren't sure who the passengers were and what luggage was involved.)

Senator Grace Poe, vice-chairperson of the Senate public services committee, welcomed the swift action of the DOTr, but said the authorities “must not allow this defanged scheme to make a comeback to pester passengers anew.”

“Innocent travelers do not deserve the trauma and trouble caused by rogue airport personnel supposed to provide security, not imperil their safety,” Poe said. 

“As the investigation proceeds, we hope assistance could be extended to the 69-year-old victim of this disturbing case,” she added. 

“Tanim or laglag-bala” also called the TaLaBa extortion scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport had become an issue during the administration of the late former President Benigno Aquino III and was investigated by the Senate in 2015.

NNIC statement

Meanwhile, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said it is coordinating with the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) for the reinforcement of security monitoring at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) following the alleged “tanim-bala” scheme.

The NNIC, operator of the country's main gateway, emphasized that they prioritize maintaining an airport environment that is “safe and efficient for all travelers.”

“To prevent similar incidents and strengthen public confidence, NNIC is working with OTS to reinforce security monitoring, proper screening procedures, and transparency in security operations,” it said.

“NNIC remains committed to working with the OTS and other authorities to provide a secure and seamless airport experience,” it added. — AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News