What syndicate? Palace says there’s no NBI report yet

Malacañang on Thursday said it had yet to receive a copy of a report of the National Bureau of Investigation concluding that a “tanim-bala” (bullet planting) syndicate preying on Filipino workers and the elderly airline passengers.

“As far as I know the NBI has not submitted any findings to the OP [Office of the President] on the matter,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Quoting an NBI source, the Inquirer said initial investigations revealed that the syndicate was operating at four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), planting bullets in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers and extorting money from them.

Possession of bullets, regardless of quantity, requires government permits.

Republic Act No. 10591 imposes stiff penalties on those who are caught for illegal possession of ammunition.

A number of those who have been arrested at Naia recently for possession of bullets claim that the ammunition seized are talismans. Several others said they never packed bullets and blamed it on the bullet-planting scam.

A vice presidential hopeful, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accused President Aquino of complacency in the tanim-bala scam, and hit the Chief Executive for allegedly coddling the airport general manager, Angel Honrado, amid the controversy. Marcos said the President should fire Honrado, or else promote a culture of impunity.

“Unlike Senator Bongbong Marcos who continues to deny the abuses of martial law, corruption, impunity and human rights violation that occurred under the Marcos regime of which he was a part as a government official, the President recognizes that there is a problem. The administration is addressing this issue and taking concrete steps so that the travelers will have peace of mind and no passenger will be subjected to unfair prosecution,” Lacierda said.