It’s time to bite the bullet

The Philippines is certainly getting its fair share of time in the news these days. Some of the news items are good – such as the country winning the first round against China in the international court regarding territorial disputes, or Filipino performers and professionals getting recognized for their work abroad, or even the Alden-YayaDub love team posting unprecedented social media numbers globally. However, most of the news about the country is not so good and shows the Philippines in a bad light to the global community.

Most of what is being circulated these days is all about the election drama the country is facing, on-going corruption problems in several agencies of the government, and the continuing lack of justice and prosecution in criminal cases. Let’s face it, we are pretty much giving criminals free reign when it comes to their activities as there never seems to be any instances of punishment against those who break the law.

The latest, in what seems to be an on-going list of scams and scandals, is the bullet-planting scheme happening at NAIA. Known locally as “laglag bala” or “tanim bala,” the scam is that travelers coming in and out of the country are apprehended at the airport due to suspicious items seen via the X-ray in their bags or luggage. The bags in question are then opened and a single bullet is usually found inside resulting in the traveler being arrested or held for questioning. Usually when this happens, the passenger is harassed for a payoff, which they call “bail,” to avoid the hassle and if they pay they are let go. If not they are held, usually missing flights, eventually arrested and having to pay bail in court.

First of all, I have to say, the entire thing is absolutely ludicrous. The idea that a passenger, let alone several passengers with no connection whatsoever to one another, would travel with a single bullet in their possession is ridiculous. What good does one bullet do? These passengers are never found with a gun on them so what does security think they are going to do with that one bullet? Kill someone by throwing it? Go back and forth in and out of the country until they can collect enough single bullets for a magazine? It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that there is something more to these cases, especially since there are so many of them. Plus, if these passengers with single bullets in their bags are really such a threat, why let them go for a mere payoff of P500-P5,000?

Obviously, it’s extortion plain and simple. The sad part about it is how inane it all is. You would think that after the first few incidences of bullet planting became viral online that the occurrences would go down – at least for a while. After all, any smart criminal knows that once their activities are getting attention they should lay low until the heat dies down. In this case though there seems to be a blatant disregard for the law as more and more laglag bala victims are being “caught” at the airport every day.

I truly feel for those traveling in and out of the airport and for the country in general. The news of this ridiculous bullet planting scam has gotten global attention and now tourists and would-be travelers to the Philippines are being warned about coming to the country for yet another dumb reason. As if we didn’t have enough trouble proving our worth in the global community, now we are being known for extorting innocent travelers before they’ve even left the airport.

Honestly, it’s reaching ridiculous proportions and I think it’s terrible that it had to get this far before our government and those in positions of power decided to probe further and do something about it. It’s hardly comforting when the first response was that “these are just isolated incidences and are nothing to worry about.” What does this type of response say about those who are in charge? It seems to say that they don’t care enough about the rights of hardworking OFWs, balikbayans, and Filipinos who are being victimized. The fact that so much public outrage had to occur before steps were taken seems to show that unless there is widespread attention, nothing would have been done.

Personally, I think there is definitely something insidious to the entire bullet-planting scheme at NAIA. Some say that it’s a diversionary election tactic done to make the current administration look bad. It’s very possible. This entire situation has already added fuel to a very tired and angry Filipino population that is at wit’s end with corruption and want to see real change and action. However, others say that tanim bala has been happening long before the election campaign season and that it’s only now that it’s really been in the public eye. The answer could really be either of the theories. All I know is that something truly has to be done and soon.

As of this week, Malacanang has vowed to stop the laglag bala scam with the President calling for an investigation. Several lawmakers have also voiced their displeasure at the current situation and want action. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that both the President and Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya have instructed airport authorities to look closer into the incidences and find out what is happening. They are also adding closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside the airport to better monitor the situation.

These are steps I suppose, but until it stops I have to remain skeptical. I’m already surprised that it’s taken this long for those in charge to admit the situation warranted a closer look. I guess in the meantime all we can do is be very careful and wary every time we need to travel. Secure all closures of your bag with locks or zip ties and don’t ever let your bag out of your sight or grasp for long. And if you are traveling in pairs or groups, help one another. Keep your eyes on your possessions at all times. Remember it only takes one second for someone to quickly slip something in unnoticed.