MANILA, Philippines — Alert screening officers at an airport in Misamis Oriental intercepted ammunition from a Manila-bound passenger over the weekend.
The Department of Transportation and Communications’ Office for Transportation Security (DOTC-OTS) personnel assigned at the Laguindingan International Airport detected eight bullets for a .45 pistol hidden in the backpack of a passenger who was able to slip through the initial security check.
According to OTS spokesperson Jonathan Maliwat, passenger Abbas Macarambon was intercepted on June 12 around noon at the final security screening checkpoint of the departure area of the Laguindingan International Airport.
The facility in Laguindingan town, Misamis Oriental, serves as the main airport of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities and the other provinces in Northern Mindanao.
Maliwat said that security screening officer Jeftoni Abellar was manning the x-ray scanner at the final security screening when he noticed what looked like prohibited items inside Macarambon’s backpack.
Abellar immediately asked the on-duty baggage inspector to look through the bag. They then found the bullets, quickly informing personnel of the Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) of their discovery.
The OTS personnel turned over Macarambon and the confiscated bullets to the Avsegroup after the passenger failed to present any document to justify his possession of the ammunition.
Macarambon is facing a charge of violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.