Manila: Luggage screen investigators wore pink ribbons on their right arms, insisting they have been wrongly accused of participating in alleged bullet planting on passengers’ luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), to appease a growing number of arrested suspects who claimed they were victimised by “extortionists” and those who are implementing the country’s law against illegal possession of immunisation at airports, sources said.
“We are showing our love for passengers even if many people no longer show their love for us,” said Nannet Ramos, supervisor of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS), the agency of the department of transportation and communications (DOTC) that investigates luggage screeners at airports.
“It is like turning the other cheek to those who insist that luggage screeners have become unwitting participants in the alleged bullet-planting scam at the airports,” said Ramos.
Insisting that OTS personnel are not responsible for the alleged scam, Edgar Anas of the National Employees Association of Transport Security said, “We will continue holding a unity mass at the Pasay City’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) every week.”
“Our families have been affected by allegations that attack OTS personnel,” explained Anas.
President Benigno Aquino also ordered a “watch the watchers (of luggage)” campaign with the help of additional TV monitoring screens to check on those who are implementing the country’s law against illegal possession of ammunition at airports and in planes, said Undersecretary Abigal Valte, Aquino’s deputy spokesperson.
“This will minimise the possibility of unsuspecting passengers being held for planted live bullets for purposes of extortion,” said Valte, adding, “One person who is unfairly accused of a crime that was not personally committed is enough for us to launch this major campaign.”
Luggage inspectors were told not to touch or hold bullets seen on monitoring screens, said Valte, adding the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group (ASG) was assigned to inspect and investigate a suspected luggage.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya who was assigned to oversee the implementation of the new measures in all airports, said Valte.
A growing number of suspects have been investigated for allegedly carrying ammunition when flying out of the Philippines. Many of them, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have complained they were victimised by extortionists who asked money so cases would not filed against them at the prosecutor’s office.
Because of these incidents, NAIA has been called the world’s most dangerous airports.
