Mactan Airport investigates alleged ‘tanim-bala’ incident

MACTAN Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) general manager Nigel Paul C. Villarete has ordered an investigation into an alleged “tanim-bala” incident at the airport.

Senior Supt. Raul Bargamento, new head of the Philippine National  Police (PNP) Aviation Security Unit (AVSEU), said he was going to ask the airport policeman named in the complaint to report early today.

A copy of the complaint was uploaded on Facebook by Lemuel Rene Bravo Gallo. As of 9:32 p.m. yesterday, the Facebook post had 44 likes and 232 shares.

Gallo said the victim, a firefighter from Guimaras, was his relative. He did not name him as a security precaution.

In his post, Gallo said, “Laglag bala is in Cebu! I have a moral obligation to share this to my fellow Filipino/Cebuano/Visayan/ who is using Mactan Airport. A family member was a victim.”

Based on the affidavit that Gallo uploaded, the complainant said he and his family were at the Mactan Airport on March 5 to take a flight home to Guimaras.

He said he and his family had a box, a trolley and four backpacks, four paper bags and a black sling bag.

At about 12:05 p.m., he said their bags went through the X-ray machine and proceeded to check in.

“After we checked in, we went to have lunch at Cafe Cesario and after we bought pasalubong at Island Souvenirs and Shamrock and after several minutes, we proceeded again to pre-departure and passed by the same X-ray machine with the same personnel operating the said machine,” the affidavit stated.

This time, the complainant said one of those manning the machine told them that one backpack contained a bullet.

“When we opened it in their presence, there is no bullet inside our bag. That one of the OTS (Office for Transportation Security) got our bag and let it pass (through) the X-ray machine again and to our surprise, there was already a bullet inside our bag,” the affidavit read.

The complainant said a member of the AVSEU, name withheld, confronted them about the bullet and instructed him to take it out of the bag. One M16 live ammunition and one empty shell of 45 caliber were removed from the bag.

He and his family were brought to the holding area, then to an office at the second floor, and back to the holding area.

At the holding area, the complainant said he asked the policeman, “Sir, ano ba dapat gawin para makaalis na kami ng pamilya ko? (What do I need to do?)”

The policeman allegedly answered, “Meron ka bang baon?”

The complainant said he offered to give P2,000. They went inside the male comfort room, where he gave two P1,000 bills to the policeman.

The policeman later assisted them as they passed through the X-ray machine toward the pre-departure area.