Dark clouds roll by as people arrive at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on September 4, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) assured the Senate Committee on Public Services that there is no “laglag bala” modus in airports during a hearing on Thursday.

According to Eugenio Paguirigan, Director of OTS’ Transport Security Risk Management Service, their screening process is transparent.

“In the first place there is no laglag bala. That is an assurance from no less than the Secretary,” Paguirigan said. “There are several CCTV directed to the inspection table.”  

Police Colonel Cesar Lumiwes, Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Unit National Capital Region (AVSEU NCR) said there are passengers who bring bullet slugs as “anting-anting” or amulets when they travel. 

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“Every day, Sir, to tell you, passengers carry with them either slug or a part of the ammunition or either one round,” Lumiwes said. 

“What we do there, Sir, is we profile the person especially if he is not a threat to civil aviation because that is our mandate,” he added.

Lumiwes said they then let the person go. 

Tulfo suggested placing reminders before check-in counters to warn passengers to ensure that their belongings do not have contrabands. 

As for the complaint of a passenger named Ann Lucero whose belongings were subjected to a random check at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently, Paguirigan recognized that it was unfortunate the screener failed to properly explain the reason for the said check. 

Paguirigan said some items found in Lucero’s belongings triggered the alarm.

Tulfo then asked why Lucero was prohibited from taking videos of the inspection. Paguirigan said this was “really unfortunate”. 

“We have to look into the reason behind bakit ipinagbawal mag-video,” Paguirigan said, although he added that taking videos poses a risk for screeners.

BUKAS MALETA

Tulfo also brought up the complaint of actor and singer-songwriter Aiza “Ice” Seguerra about the lost items of his wife, Liza Diño-Seguerra, which were inside her luggage.

Diño-Seguerra came from the United States and was aboard a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight. 

PAL Vice President Attorney Ma. Clara De Castro said they immediately conducted an investigation but saw no unusual activities with the baggage handling based on CCTV footage. 

PAL has also coordinated with the San Francisco airport.

“We requested our ground handlers in the US na kung puwede tulungan kami makakuha ng information but as I said, very limited,” De Castro explained. 

“Itong specific incident na ito, unfortunately, napakahirap pong i-establish kung saan nangyari yung paglaslas ng bagahe kaya hindi po kami makapag-pinpoint kung sinong specific na tao ang gumawa po noong reported incident,” she added. 

De Castro said they have augmented their roving security personnel who are equipped with body cameras. 

For Tulfo, one way of avoiding such a problem is to install CCTVs every step of the way, which will also prevent baggage handlers from doing anything suspicious.