DOJ to release report on tanim-bala today

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to release today the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) report on the alleged tanim-bala or bullet-planting scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The NBI task force has submitted the result of its fact-finding probe to Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, DOJ Undersecretary and spokesman Emmanuel Caparas said yesterday.

“Secretary Caguioa is going over the report,” Caparas said in a text message to The STAR.

Caguioa refused to confirm reports that senior NAIA officials and security personnel would be charged.

NBI Director Virgilio Mendez earlier said that while some ranking airport officers were involved in the alleged extortion racket at the NAIA, there was no indication that a syndicate was behind the scam.

For his part, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya reiterated that the government would not tolerate any wrongdoing of airport officials and personnel of the Office of Transportation Security allegedly involved in the scheme.

“That’s why we tapped the NBI, so that the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) will not be accused of covering up the incidents,” he said.

No one will be spared from the filing of charges by the NBI, Abaya added. – With Christina Mendez