MCIA security measures: Travelers advised to double-check bags before flights

OTS-7 Chief Lizel Mondejar and MCIAA Assistant General Manager Glenn Napuli answered questions concerning the 47-year-old woman intercepted by the OTS last March 27 after screeners detected bullets in her bag. | Photo by Niña Mae Oliverio

Passengers at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) are reminded to follow MCIA security measures and double-check their bags before boarding. This comes after the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) of the MCIA Authority (MCIAA) intercepted a 47-year-old woman carrying bullets inside her bag on March 27.

In an interview with PTV Cebu on Wednesday, MCIAA Assistant General Manager, lawyer Glenn Napuli, together with Terminal Operations Manager Jemar Nietes and OTS-7 Chief Lizel Mondejar, addressed the issue regarding what transpired last Thursday.

Napuli said that notices about prohibited items are already displayed within the airport premises, and even before passengers board their flights, reminders are issued beforehand.

READ: Mactan Airport security officials deny ‘tanim bala’ allegations

The state-run MCIAA enforces strict security measures, and Napuli mentioned that all areas of the airport are monitored through CCTV cameras.

“That’s why we are very confident kasi nung tiningnan naman sa CCTV, walang ibang taong humawak doon sa bagahe. Siya lang talaga mismo, backpack yun, e. Si passenger, wala siyang na mention na ‘hindi sa akin yan’ dahil alam niyang walang nakakahawak ng bag niya,” said Nietes.

(That’s why we are very confident because when we checked the CCTV, no one else touched the baggage. It was only the passenger, and it was a backpack. The passenger never said, ‘That’s not mine,’ because she knew no one else had touched their bag.)

‘Laglag-bala’ never happened at MCIA

Supporting the statement of MCIAA General Manager Julius Neri Jr., Napuli emphasized that there have been no incidents of laglag-bala (bullet-planting scam) at the airport.

In cases where OTS personnel intercept a passenger after the baggage scanning system detects a bullet or bullets, these were either brought accidentally or intentionally.

Napuli explained that detecting prohibited items is already part of security protocols, and if something is detected, it is turned over to the police.

MCIA security measures include strict baggage screening to ensure passenger safety.

Addressing the negative reactions from netizens, Napuli added that this is simply part of a screener’s job. Therefore, screeners should not hesitate to report such findings.

“Kaya nga we are doing our job kasi yung social media napaka-negative. Ayaw namin na yung screener, pag may makita sila, [sasabihin], huwag nalang nating i-ano baka tayo pa yung i-accuse ng public. We don’t want that. We want to be fair. Nagtatrabaho lang yung, mga tao rin yun,” Napuli said.

(That’s why we are doing our job because social media is very negative. We don’t want screeners to say, ‘Let’s not report it, or the public might accuse us.’ We don’t want that. We want to be fair. They are just doing their job, and they are people too.)

Napuli added that the passenger did not even have any complaints after authorities intercepted her at the scanner.

“But wala eh, because she knows na protocol natin yung sinunod,” he said.

(But there was nothing, because she knew that we were just following protocol.)

Nietes added that a similar incident occurred around 2015, but it has never been proven that a laglag-bala scheme exists.

Not the first time

The 47-year-old woman intercepted by OTS was the 20th person this year to have been caught carrying a bullet, according to Napuli.

He added that the incident only went viral because of netizens’ reactions, with some claiming that the tanim-bala (bullet-planting) scheme has now spread to Cebu.

“For this year alone, hindi lang yun ang nafile-lan ng kaso, so it’s not something na ngayon lang nangyayari. Meron talagang tao na nakakalimutang nakadala ng bala, madala nila sa bagahe nila which is normal and we have been doing our jobs. Ngayon lang naging viral kasi iniisip nila na related to (sa Manila),” Napuli said.

(For this year alone, this is not the only case filed, so this is not something new. There are really people who forget they have a bullet in their baggage, which is normal, and we have been doing our jobs. It only went viral now because people think it’s related to what happened in Manila.)

Moreover, Nietes said that some passengers found with ammunition in their bags were uniformed personnel.

“Yung iba, amulet. Yung mga pinitpit na. Yung iba mga kapsula nalang pero iintercept pa rin yan,” Nietes added.

(Some of them were amulets, flattened bullets. Others were just empty shell casings, but we still intercept those.)

He also assured the public that Mactan-Cebu International Airport remains safe.

Mondejar, for her part, said that before hiring security personnel, they undergo extensive background checks and training to ensure their credibility.

Contact their hotline for concerns

For any concerns, Napuli advised passengers to contact their hotline.

The terminal hotline is 494-7000, available 24/7. If a passenger has doubts about their belongings, they are encouraged to call the hotline.

Aside from the hotline, passengers can also message the airport through its official Facebook page.

“Proactive kami. We want to address ano yung mga concerns ng public,” Napuli said.

(We are proactive. We want to address the public’s concerns.)

“This is a bad incident but we all learn from this at tsaka educate na rin the public that please check your bags when you come to the airport. Lalo na ngayon election ban,” he added.

(This is a bad incident but we all learn from this, and it also serves as a reminder to educate the public to check their bags when coming to the airport, especially now that there is an election ban.)

By following MCIA security measures, travelers can avoid unnecessary delays and issues at checkpoints./clorenciana