A bullet is found in the baggage of Rey Salado, a passenger bound for Cagayan de Oro City, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Wednesday. Salado says the bullet is a gift from a friend. Sen. Francis Escudero has thumbed down a proposal to decriminalize the possession of not more than three bullets in the country’s airports. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER
Vice presidential aspirant Sen. Francis Escudero on Thursday thumbed down the proposed decriminalization of possession of three bullets or less in the country’s airports amid the proliferation of the so-called “tanim-bala” modus operandi.
Escudero pointed out that the problem was not the number of bullets being confiscated but the people “planting” them.
“Ang tanong ko, saan nanggaling yung tatlo? Bakit hindi dalawa? Bakit hindi lima?” Escudero said during an open forum when sought to comment on the proposal in Congress to decriminalize the acquisition, possession and carrying of not more than three bullets in airports to eliminate the racket.
READ: Bam Aquino to file ‘iwas tanim bala’ bill
“Pangalawa, kung gagawin nating legal dito ’yun, gagawin din bang legal sa ibang bansa? Baka naman pagdating dito legal kung may isa o dalawang bala, pagdating naman sa Amerika or China ilegal naman dun. Doon pa makulong ang ating mga kababayan,” Escudero said.
“Dahil sa totoo lang hindi naman bala ang problema e. ’Yung tao ang problema, yung naglalaglag at nagtatanim ng bala ang problema. Walang kinalaman yung bala roon, nananahimik lang sya.”
His remark drew laughter from the crowd who gathered at Quezon City Sports Club for Makabayan bloc’s endorsement of the presidential and vice presidential bids of Senators Grace Poe and Escudero.
“So kung maghahanap tayo ng solution … ’yung taong nagtatanim ang pagtutunan natin ng pansin,” Escudero added. Maila Ager/RC
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