Senator Raffy Tulfo conducted an ocular inspection at Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) following an alleged “tanim-bala” incident at the busy gateway on March 27.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services Chairperson personally spoke with Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manger Neri General Manager and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Julius Neri Jr. to clarification on the March 27 incident, which involved a 47-year-old female passenger who was reportedly found with four bullets in her luggage during the security X-ray screening.

Neri earlier said that no bullet-planting scheme called “tanim-bala” incident occurred at the airport. 

Tulfo also shared that Neri assured him that all security protocols were followed when intercepting items — such as bag searches, holding the passenger, and processing the case — during the incident.

Tulfo added that according to Neri, the woman did not deny ownership of the bullets found in her bag and did not accuse any Office for Transportation Security (OTS) personnel of extorting money from her regarding the incident. In fact, Neri said there were also CCTV cameras focused on the X-ray area, and upon reviewing the footage, no irregularities were found.

Also, Neri told him that in such incidents, OTS personnel and members of the PNP AVSEU must record a video while inspecting the bag in the presence of its owner.

Tulfo first inspected the X-ray scanning area at MCIA, where the airport screening officers showed the actual process of how they screen passengers’ luggage.

They also conducted a demonstration in which a Senate staff member of Tulfo had three bullets placed in their bag and then placed it into the X-ray machine. Here, Tulfo saw how the bullets showed up on the screen and how the baggage containing the contraband was automatically separated from the rest on the conveyor belt.

The airport screening officers also showed Tulfo the step-by-step process of how they respond whenever a passenger is caught with contraband such as bullets.

Before opening the passenger’s bag, the OTS employee immediately called a member of the PNP Aviation Security Unit (AVSEU) to witness the search, which was also recorded on video. The passenger is then asked for permission to open their luggage.

Tulfo also saw the CCTV cameras focused on the X-ray scanning area, which, according to Neri, were important evidence and also provide protection for the passenger.

He also visited the sorting area for checked-in baggage to observe how these bags are screened for any prohibited items inside.

Jemar Nietes, the Terminal Operations Head of MCIA, explained that there are three levels of security checks. If a contraband is confirmed, the baggage will be handed over to an OTS officer for a physical inspection along with the baggage owner.

Likewise, Tulfo inspected the taxi bays at MCIA, where standard taxi rates are posted at the booths, and passengers are provided with a slip that contains the name of the taxi operator, driver, and the vehicle’s plate number.

The senator praised the best practices he observed at MCIA, especially in terms of airport security and passenger safety and convenience. He mentioned that he would suggest implementing these practices at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).