DOJ to probe 6 NAIA personnel for ‘tanim-bala’

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to conduct a preliminary investigation of the charges against six Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) personnel tagged in the “tanim-bala” or bullet-planting scheme at the airport, an official said yesterday.

Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, chief of the DOJ’s prosecutorial arm, said the complaint filed by Lane White, the American missionary victimized by the extortion scheme last September, and his stepmother Eloisa Zoleta has been assigned to their Task Force NAIA, chaired by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva.

“The task force will create a panel that will conduct preliminary investigation,” Arellano told reporters yesterday.

The DOJ official said that after the designation of prosecutors in the panel, the respondents would then be summoned and hearings would be set.

The complaint was referred to the DOJ last week by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) team that probed the controversial scheme.

The preliminary investigation will cover Office for Transportation Security (OTS) personnel Marvin Garcia and Ma. Elma Cegna; and Aviation Security Group (ASG) operatives Inspector Adriano Junio, Senior Police Officer 4 Ramon Bernardo and SPO2s Romy Navarro and Rolando Clarin.

The NBI has recommended the conduct of preliminary investigation against Garcia and Cegna for violation of Article 5, Section 3 (b) (liability for planting evidence) under Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act).

On the other hand, the police officers were charged with violation of Article 293 (robbery and extortion) of the Revised Penal Code, violation of Republic Act 7438 (a law defining the rights of an arrested individual) and Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).