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No 'tanim-bala' at Mactan-Cebu airport – Neri

Philippines | Luzon

No 'tanim-bala' at Mactan-Cebu airport – Neri

By Calvin Cordova

CEBU CITY – The bullet-planting scheme called “tanim-bala” is not happening at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Julius Neri Jr., general manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), said.

MACTAN-CEBU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.png

Neri made the assurance following the arrest of a 47-year-old female passenger who was caught with four bullets in her baggage last March 27.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/1/woman-yields-4-bullets-during-airport-inspection

Her arrest became a hot topic on social media with some alleging that the bullets may have been planted by unscrupulous individuals at the airport.

Neri refuted these suspicions, saying that such modus never happened at the MCIA.

“For the record, there has been no incident of ‘laglag-bala’ at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport from as far back as I can remember (back until 2016, I believe),” Neri said in a statement on Wednesday, April 2.

In cases where bullets are found from passengers’ baggage, the contraband may have been intentionally or accidentally brought.

“It was not planted there. Just stating facts, no matter what social media says,” Neri said.

Personnel of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) discovered four bullets inside a pouch within the passenger’s bag during a routine X-ray scan. A manual inspection confirmed their presence.

The passenger, a human resources manager from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, was scheduled to board a flight to Tacloban City, Leyte.

She failed to present documents to prove she was authorized to carry the bullets. She was arrested for violating Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.

The woman is facing additional charges for violating the election gun ban.

Related Tags

Tanim-bala MACTAN-CEBU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

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