Miriam backs probe on ‘bullet-planting’ at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago backed yesterday calls to hold an  inquiry into allegations of “bullet-planting” on departing and arriving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

These allegations show that corruption defeats the purpose of law enforcement, she said.

“Finally, they underline inaction on the part of government,” she  said.

They also raise a legitimate question on the implementation of the law on the illegal possession of ammunition, she added.

Santiago has filed Senate Resolution No. 1635 following reports that airport security personnel are involved in extortion activities of planting bullets in the luggage of passengers, who are   asked to pay a huge amount of cash to avoid a lawsuit.

Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Cynthia Villar, Ralph Recto, Nancy Binay, and Alan Cayetano also have raised concerns on the alleged extortion activities at NAIA.

The media have so far reported six cases using the modus operandi.

The latest victims are Gloria Ortinez, an OFW bound for Hong Kong, and Japanese national Kazunobu Sakamoto, who were both arrested on Oct. 25.

Only Sakamoto was able to post bail of P80,000.

“The perpetrators of the alleged scam are brazen, perhaps because they know they will not be punished,” Santiago said in response to the signature campaign on online petition platform Change.org. “We must prove them wrong.”

 The petition was launched by Ednalyn Purugganan, an OFW in Hong Kong.

Santiago condemned the extortionists for targeting OFWs, who see the airport as their connection to home.

“Wrongly accusing OFWs of a crime and forcing them to pay huge amounts of cash is not the way to repay those whom we call our modern-day heroes,” she   said.

 Complaints desk

Senate President Pro-Tempore Recto urged the administration to create a one-stop “presidential action and complaint desk” to act on complaints from travelers, including OFWs.

“It can also serve as a place where travellers can lodge complaints for bad service and recommend commendations for good one,” he said.

The idea is to pool together all agencies which have something to do with OFWs and travel, Recto said. “You can call that a mini-national government center at NAIA,” he said.   

The desk will be part of an existing Malacañang office known as the Presidential Action Center (PACE), Recto said.

It is a frontline team that bridges and ensures delivery of services to the general public, he added.