2 more NAIA men tagged in tanim-bala extortion

MANILA, Philippines – The elderly couple allegedly victimized in the tanim-bala (bullet-planting) scheme at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last week have tagged more airport personnel in their extortion claim.

Esteban Cortabista, 78, and his wife Salvacion, 75, personally identified Office for Transportation Security (OTS) screeners Ferdinand Morales and Fatti Dame Go as those who tried to extort P50,000 from them when they were held at the NAIA Terminal 1 last April 19 for alleged illegal possession of a live bullet.

Their counsel, Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, said the couple picked Morales and Go from photographs presented to them by officers of the police Aviation Security Group.

The two OTS employees were manning the X-ray machine where the bullet was supposedly detected inside one of the bags of the couple.

The couple earlier accused wheelchair attendant Niño Namba of demanding P50,000 from them so that they would be allowed to board their flight to the US after being held for alleged possession of a bullet.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has cancelled the access passes of Namba, Morales and Go following the extortion claim.

Acosta said they are preparing the affidavits for the filing of extortion charges against the airport personnel.

The STAR earlier reported that an eyewitness – another passenger bound for the US who was with the elderly couple during the incident – has surfaced to support their extortion story and is now preparing an affidavit.

The Cortabistas are facing preliminary investigation on charges for violation of Republic Act No. 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) in the Department of Justice (DOJ).

They are expected to appear in a hearing on May 3.

The couple were barred from boarding Korean Airlines flight KE 622 bound for Los Angeles via Seoul, South Korea last April 19 after OTS personnel found a live .38 caliber bullet in one of their bags at the departure area of NAIA Terminal 1.

They denied owning the bullet and insisted that airport personnel planted it in their hand-carry bag.

They said they were aware of the ban on bullet possession at the airport and pointed out that the bullet found in their bag was not detected in the X-ray examination at the initial security check.

The elderly couple were initially held after the incident and subjected to inquest proceedings. But prosecutors assigned by DOJ at the airport did not immediately find probable cause to file the case in court or keep the two in detention.

They were then ordered released for further investigation but they missed their flight to the US, where they are supposed to seek treatment for severe arthritis. 

Vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. chided yesterday acting Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas for claiming that the latest bullet-planting incident could be part of a smear campaign against the government.

Marcos said that while the justice department has yet to complete its investigation, Caparas has practically prejudged the case with his statement.

“By conveniently dismissing this latest incident of tanim-bala as a smear campaign against the government, the justice secretary has, wittingly or unwittingly, bound the hands of the prosecutors who would investigate the case,” Marcos said. 

He said Caparas should at least have waited for the facts of the case to be established before making any comment. – With Perseus Echeminada