M-16 bullet found in woman’s bag

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino woman, who was scheduled for a vacation in London, ended up missing her flight yesterday after security personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) allegedly found a bullet for an M-16 rifle in the medicine pouch inside her carry-on bag.

She was the third to be held at the airport yesterday, following a US-bound 68-year-old woman who was prevented from leaving for wearing a necklace with a pendant that resembled a bullet and a Filipino caught with a .22-caliber pistol with five bullets.

The PNP-Aviation Security Group is investigating the three cases after Office of Transportation Security (OTS) personnel forwarded the concerns to them.

The OTS is supposed to have handled security concerns, including investigation, within the airport terminals, but NAIA Terminal 2 manager Francisco Enrico Gonzales said the personnel are growing weary and paranoid because of the laglag-bala (bullet planting) image and thought it better to forward the cases instead to the police group.

The OTS members are the ones manning X-ray machines at the NAIA and are tasked, among others, to open luggage or bags with suspected contraband.

OTS security screening officer Maria Rica Verano said they had to hold Monalisa Rico at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday after finding an M-16 bullet in her bag.

The 55-year-old Rico was invited by her son, a British citizen, to spend the holidays with him in London. She failed to make it to her Philippine Airlines PR 720 flight, which was supposed to fly to London via Hong Kong at 2 p.m. yesterday.

Rico was at the final security check area when the bullet was detected.

As of press time, it was not certain if a complaint was actually filed against the Filipina.

The unidentified 68-year-old woman though was allowed to board her flight after explaining that the pendant was not a bullet but an amulet given to her to protect her from evil.

Supt. Alex Lim, AvseGroup chief, identified the man with the gun as dental assistant Ramon Laorca, who was bound for the US on board a Delta Air flight yesterday.

The 59-year-old Laorca reportedly owned up to the crime and was quoted saying, “I am sorry, dala ng katangahan ko nakalimutan kong iwanan sa bahay (because of my stupidity, I forgot to leave it at home).”

The first bullet planting incident was reported on Sept. 14 when a wheelchair-bound passenger, Gloria Ortinez, denounced the alleged money-making scheme of some unscrupulous airport employees.

Ortinez was later cleared of the charges because the evidence, a photograph of the bullet supposedly taken from her, was different from the actual one taken at the airport.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado, for his part, refused to believe that airport personnel would plant bullets in the luggage of passengers simply to extort money.

He cited the case of Nimfa Fontamillas, who was found with a 9mm bullet in her bag, although she claimed she had sewn shut the side pocket of her bag, where the bullet was found.

The bag was opened in her presence, along with her lawyer, and members of the OTS and the Avsegroup.

A bullet was found in the side pocket of her padlocked red shoulder bag.

“She denies owning the bullet, the OTS personnel of course had denied doing it, now tell me, who is at fault?” Honrado remarked.

Honrado said both parties agreed to trace the origin of the bullet on the possibility that her relatives could have put it in the pocket of her bag as an amulet for her travel to Singapore.

Honrado said a majority of Filipinos caught with bullets at the airport usually say these are amulets to ward off evil.

The Avsegroup reported 139 cases of bullets found in the luggage of passengers, with 51 filed in court.

“The 139 cases were reported by the OTS to have been live ammunition,” said Avsegroup director Chief Supt. Francisco Balagtas.

He said the normal procedure is for the OTS to submit to them any case of seized ammunition or firearms and for the Avsegroup to file the case in court.

Of the 51 people charged in court, three denied owning the bullets.

“There is need to improve awareness for passengers on what is not allowed to be brought inside airport and airplane,” Honrado stressed.

He added that usually, infraction of the law is brought about by ignorance.

Honrado said the OTS is having a meeting with officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on the proposal to conduct a lecture for migrant Filipino workers on what are the prohibited items during their travels.

Honrado also urged OWWA to offer free plastic wrapping of luggage of departing Filipino workers to give them assurance that they are safe from falling victim to the laglag-bala scheme.