By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo conducted an inspection at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) following an alleged “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) incident.
Tulfo met with MCIA General Manager and CEO Julius Neri Jr. to clarify the allegation, which involved a 47-year-old female passenger who was reportedly found with four bullets in her luggage during security screening via X-ray.
According to Tulfo, Neri denied the accusation and assured him that all security protocols were properly followed during the incident. These included procedures such as baggage inspection, holding the passenger, and due case processing.
Tulfo added that the passenger did not deny ownership of the bullets and did not accuse any Office for Transportation Security (OTS) personnel of extortion.
Neri also noted that CCTV cameras were trained on the X-ray area, and upon reviewing the footage, no irregularities were observed.
Furthermore, Neri emphasized that in such incidents, it is standard protocol for OTS personnel and members of the PNP AVSEU to record a video of the bag inspection in the presence of the passenger.
As part of the inspection, a Senate staff member from Senator Tulfo’s team participated in a demonstration where three bullets were placed inside their bag and scanned through the X-ray machine.
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