LETTER TO THE EDITOR: More on the lost ammunition

This pertains to the issue wherein MCIAA claimed that all my 46 bullets were accounted for as reported to him by both the MCIA and NAIA3 detachments of the PNP.

May I ask MCIAA General Manager Danilo Augusto Francia to verify the journal at NAIA3 for October 7. The police officer on duty at that time was a certain PO2 Salunen (or someone with a similar sounding name). When he opened the security package in my presence, I immediately counted the bullets and noted that one for the chamber was missing. I asked him to look thoroughly inside but none was found. The other persons present at that time were an airport security guard and my companion, Pvt Gary Morales.

I immediately asked PO2 Salunen to correct his entry in the journal - to indicate therein that I received only 45 instead of 46 rounds - and then signed the journal. The claim of General Francia that all the bullets were accounted for in Cebu is technically correct because it was specified in my claim stub number B-136906 that I surrendered 3 magazines and 46 rounds.

Whether 46 rounds were actually packed is another thing. Whether it is a result of negligence due to perfunctory performance of duty or of something else is up to MCIAA and Cebu Pacific to determine. The bottom line is that I surrendered 46 rounds at MCIA and claimed only 45 at NAIA3. I am willing to execute an affidavit to this effect. Again, this is not the first time that I lost ammunition while traveling from Cebu to Manila on Cebu Pacific.

It is just a single round and I can always buy many more of it. But the issue at hand is not simply about the loss of that single round. My point is the responsibility and accountability of people charged with handling (or in this case MISHANDLING) of security packages. If they cannot be trusted with the smaller things, how can they possibly be trusted with the bigger things?

LTC PHILIP S LAPINID INF (GSC) PA

H24IB, Bataan Barracks

Brgy. Camacho, Balanga City