Justice Undersecretary Emmanuel Caparas shows the report of the NBI on the laglag bala scheme. (INQUIRER PHOTO)
Bureau files criminal charges against airport personnel
The National Bureau of Investigation has confirmed the existence of “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) incidents at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but these were perpetrated by groups of corrupt airport personnel and not by a single syndicate, according to the Department of Justice.
At a press conference yesterday, DOJ undersecretary and spokesperson Emmanuel Caparas said the NBI filed criminal cases for preliminary investigation against the first batch of tanim-bala suspects: two Department of Transportation and Communication-Office of Transportation Security officers and four Philippine National
Police-Aviation Security Group operatives.
Caparas said complaints of violation for Article V, Section 38 (planting evidence) of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act were filed against OTS officers Ma. Elma Cena and Marvin Garcia.
On the other hand, Chief Insp. Adriano Junio, SPO4 Ramon Bernardo, SPO2 Rolando Clarin and SPO2 Romy Navarro of the ASG were also charged with violation of Section 38 of RA 10591 as well as violations of Article 293 (Robbery/Extortion), RA 7438 (Violation of Rights of Detained Persons) and RA 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The respondents in the case were accused of planting a bullet in the luggage of American missionary Lane White when he arrived in the country last September.
White and his stepmother Eloisa Zoleta are the complainants in the case by the NBI. They said the bullet was discovered in White’s bag only after several rounds of inspections by the OTS and that the airport policemen later tried to extort money from them in exchange for the dropping of the case.
“We feel very relieved with the NBI filing of the cases; we hope the truth will come out,” Zoleta said.
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