Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero urged government officials to conduct a thorough cleansing and reform within the country’s airports to improve the Philippine’s image to visitors here and abroad.

Escudero made the call following the dismissal of the security personnel who were reportedly involved in a “tanim-bala” or bullet planting scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The Senate leader lauded newly installed Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon for his swift action against the three employees belonging to the Office of Transportation Security (OTS), who allegedly victimized a 69-year-old woman and her family before boarding their flight to Vietnam. No bullet nor bullet casing was found in their belongings.

Escudero said the incident should pave the way for comprehensive reforms that would transform the image of the country’s main gateway.

“We have this window of opportunity to implement long-term initiatives that will transform the country’s image and enhance the experience of visitors and domestic travelers the moment they land and when they depart to their destinations. This is long overdue,” Escudero said in a statement.

The Senate leader said he is vouching on the DOTr, which now has a new and dynamic secretary of transportation on board, and the operation of the airports now privatized under the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

It was Escudero who pushed for the inclusion of a special provision under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) mandating the reimbursement of passengers who missed their flights due to excessive or unnecessary questioning by immigration personnel.

Under the special provision, the reimbursement of the affected passengers would be sourced from the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) unutilized funds.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also commended the DOTr for its swift action versus the three employees from the OTS who were allegedly involved in the incident.

Gatchalian also commended the victim for bravely sharing her experience on social media that eventually got the attention of the media and authorities.

“Mapipigilan natin ang mga masasamang gawain na kagaya ng tanim-bala kung tulong-tulong ang lahat na isiwalat ang iba’t ibang uri ng korapsyon sa ating bansa (We can prevent evil practices like this bullet planting if everyone helps each other to expose the various forms of corruption in our country),” the lawmaker said in a separate statement.

Gatchalian said it is imperative that the government ensures that the country’s airports remain safe, corruption-free, and efficient for all travelers.

“’Tanim-bala’ (bullet planting) and other extortion schemes must never be tolerated, as they cause undue inconvenience to innocent passengers and damage the country’s reputation,” he stressed.