Palace vows no 'laglag-bala' on APEC delegates

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang assured on Wednesday that the delegates for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings will not fall victim to the alleged bullet-planting scam.

In a press briefing, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said courtesy immigration lanes will be opened for the visiting APEC delegates this month.

Valte said the Department of Transportation and Communication, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Office for Transportation Security and the Philippine National Police are also coming up with measures to end the alleged extortion scheme in the country's airports.

She said the government is addressing the problem not just because the country will be having visitors from 20 other APEC member states.

"The government action on the bullet situation or the incidents regarding loose ammunition in the airport is a reaction not because we're having visitors but because we have citizens who have complained of being victims of alleged extortionists," Valte said.

"The concern is not because they are APEC delegates but for every person who passes through that airport. So those procedures should be tweaked, fixed, improved so a single person will not have to be subjected to extortion or to an unfair accusation," she added.

The Philippines is this year's host of the various APEC meetings that started in Clark, Pampanga in late January. Starting next week, the final meetings will be held in Metro Manila.

The highlight will be the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 18 and 19 which is expected to be attended by President Benigno Aquino III and 20 other heads of state.

While claiming that the country is prepared for the upcoming APEC events, Valte said that public cooperation is needed to ensure Manila's successful hosting.

"Humihingi po kami talaga ng pasensya at ng inyong kooperasyon. Tingin ko lahat naman po tayo gugustuhing maidaos nang maayos ng pamahalaan ang darating na APEC Summit at umaasa po tayo sa inyong kooperasyon," she said.

Metro Manila is hosting APEC's biggest event amid increasing reports that authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are extorting money from passengers who are supposedly carrying bullets in their luggage.

The bullets extracted from the passengers' bullets are allegedly planted by the airport authorities themselves, who would intimidate the victims to force them to pay up.