Reforms, crackdown pushed after bullet-planting incident

LAWMAKERS asked the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to introduce reforms and conduct a “top-to-bottom” crackdown on airport security personnel after the bullet-planting scheme in the country’s main gateway.

The DoTr’s Office for Transportation Security (OTS) should regularize thousands of its manpower, especially those involved with passenger screening to deter extortion schemes, such as bullet planting, Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This is to protect the flying public, deter extortion of passengers and promote tourism by ensuring the professionalism of the OTS workforce,” Mr. Mendoza said.

This followed a March 6 Facebook post that went viral, in which a 69-year-old Filipina complained about an airport security officer supposedly found an amulet made out of an empty bullet in her luggage before her flight to Vietnam.

Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon on Monday said the three OTS personnel allegedly involved in the bullet-planting scheme have already been terminated. The agency is also investigating the incident.

The bullet-planting scheme issue started in 2015 after at least 30 cases were recorded of airport security officers allegedly targeting overseas Filipino workers.

“Many of these personnel may be tempted by need and opportunity to make the most out of a bad situation to engage in corruption and extortion of travelers,” Mr. Mendoza said.

In a separate statement, Senate President Francis G. Escudero urged the Transportation department to perform a “top-to-bottom” cleansing of their personnel to further crack down on the bullet-planting scheme.

In a separate statement, the Senate chief said the firing of OTS personnel could pave the way for the Transportation department to undertake more initiatives and reforms to improve the Philippines’ main airport.

“We have this window of opportunity to implement long-term initiatives that will transform the country’s image and enhance the experience of visitors and domestic travelers the moment they land and when they depart to their destinations,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio