Roxas hit for downplaying ‘bullet planting’ scandal

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Mar Roxas drew flak over his statement that the laglag-bala (bullet planting) scandal may be part of a demolition job against the government.

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said Migrante chapters in the Middle East would push for what they dubbed “Laglag Mar,” or a no-vote campaign against Roxas in view of his comment.

“P-Noy and Mar are both anti-people, anti-OFW, pro-US imperialist and blindly supporting the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) base and dictates of the imperialist countries,” Monterona said.

Roxas was quoted on GMA-7’s “24 Oras” as saying the alleged bullet planting at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was meant to destroy the image of the government as it hosts the APEC summit.

Roxas said he was also not in favor of stripping the Office for Transportation Security of its authority to inspect passengers’ luggage at NAIA.

“Roxas’ comment… is unconvincing, a pure scapegoat of the government inaction and inefficiency to solve the laglag-bala modus at NAIA,” said Monterona.

He said those behind the scheme should be apprehended if officials believe it was meant to discredit the government.

“With the vast government intelligence network… authorities can pinpoint leads and nab those behind the laglag-bala,” Monterona said.

Hysterical propaganda

Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid spokesman and Akbayan party-list Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez dismissed Migrante’s statement as “hysterical propaganda.” 

“Given the unequivocal position of Sec Mar, Migrante’s latest barrage is readily exposed as the same old hysterical propaganda it has attempted to peddle in the past,” Gutierrez said.

“This is typical of Migrante’s politics. All talk, no solution. Their default mode for everything is spouting anti-government rhetoric and denying, whenever they can, even the most obvious gains of the government,” he said.

Gutierrez said the government has taken concrete steps to address the issue, which is threatening to cast a shadow on the Philippines’ hosting of the APEC summit.

“The DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications) and concerned airport security agencies have already begun the necessary steps to combat this scheme by putting up additional CCTVs (closed-circuit television) within the airport and tightening the baggage handling procedures, while pursuing a vigilant investigation of concerned airport employees,” he said.

He gave assurance Roxas supports efforts to stop any scheme that could hurt the country’s image.

“He supports a swift and exhaustive investigation and the imposition of appropriate penalties on any person found responsible, be it a scheme of a group, some individuals or a huge conspiracy,” he said.

Insensitive,callous

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said Roxas’ statement was “insensitive” and “callous.”

“Mr. Roxas does not get the point. Roxas’ latest comments only revealed his insensitivity to the customs and folk beliefs,” UNA spokesman Mon Ilagan said, noting some Filipinos carry bullet shells as charms to ward off evil spirits.

“The incident of laglag-bala is clearly happening and he should stop claiming that is just a form of black propaganda against him. It seems that Mr. Roxas has lost touch with reality,” he added. 

Ilagan said that OFWs would not risk their job and the welfare of their family over a bullet.

“He should not be callous in his statements toward the poor and the marginalized,” he said.

Syndicate

In a statement issued yesterday, Roxas made no reference to a supposed plot against the government, saying a syndicate could be behind the scheme. He added he joins the public in condemning the modus operandi. – With Alexis Romero, Helen Flores