By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said the three airport workers implicated in an alleged “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City are not Bureau of Immigration (BI) employees.
The trio, already dismissed according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), are under the Office for Transportation Security (OTS).
“Clarify ko lang ‘yung mga nahuli sa tanim-bala ay hindi galing sa Immigration. There is a confusion as to sino ‘yung talagang sangkot sa issue na ‘yan at may nakita akong ibang items na immigration po ang may kasalanan o sangkot doon (I just want to clarify that the personnel involved are not from the Bureau of Immigration. There is a confusion as to who are involved and we saw several news items wrongly claiming that immigration personnel were involved),” DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano told reporters in a chance interview.
“Huwag na po natin dagdagan ang mga issue ng Immigration (let us not add to the issues being faced by the Immigration), but I think it’s just fair enough to clarify that.”
The BI is an attached agency of the DOJ.
DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said the three will also face administrative charges.
The victim, a 69-year-old passenger, shared on social media her experience after she nearly missed her flight to Vietnam.
The trio from OTS, which is in charge of security and baggage screening at airports, stopped her from boarding in order to check her handbag despite having cleared the final X-ray. They alleged that airport security saw an “anting-anting” (amulet) that resembled a bullet.
No bullet was discovered upon inspection. Photos and videos taken by the victim and her companions also showed the OTS personnel laughing during the commotion while covering their nameplates. (PNA)
