Senior citizen jailed for live bullet in bag

A 61-YEAR-OLD woman is detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office after airport authorities saw a live bullet inside her blue traveling bag last Sunday, Feb. 21.

Veneranda Gorecho, a resident of Ma. Corazon Subdivision Barangay Supang, Antipolo City, came from Argao town to attend a relative’s burial and was scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. the following day when the incident occurred.

PO2 Dexter Pelecio of the Office of the Transportation Security (OTS) said their X-ray machine noticed something inside Gorecho’s traveling bag and they had her open it. The bag’s side pocket yielded a 9mm bullet.

Pelecio said Gorecho went hysterical and accused police and OTS personnel of planting a bullet in her bag.

It caught the attention of other passengers and some of them took videos using their mobile phones.

Pelecio said they tried to calm her down and Gorecho was brought to the Aviation Security Unit (AVSEU) and later turned over to the Lapu-Lapu City Police detention cell. Gorecho is facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Gorecho said she didn’t act hysterical but defended herself, having known of reports of the “tanim-bala” or bullet planting scam in airports.

Gorecho’s relatives are raising P110,000 for her bail.

Jemar Nietez, head of the Office of the Transportation Office at the Mactan Cebu International Airport, denied Gorecho’s accusation.

“Mas labaw mi nga nag-amping dinhi ilabi na nga dunay alleged tanim bala sa NAIA (We are much more careful here after hearing about the bulle-planting scam at the Manila airport),” Nietez said.