Airport cops implicated in ‘tanim-bala’ seek dismissal of case

LAWYERS of airport police officers implicated in the tanim-bala or bullet planting scheme on Monday sought the dismissal of the criminal cases filed against the officers, saying the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) failed to prove the existence of such racket.

During Monday’s preliminary investigation, Senior Police Officer 4 (SPO4) Ramon Bernardo, SPO2 Rolando Clarin and SPO2 Romy Navarro, all members of the PNP Aviation Security Group, said in their separate counter affidavits that the cases against them filed by American missionary Lane Michael White have no basis.

Lawyers Wilson Falcotello said the CCTV footage failed to show that the police officers planted ammunition into the luggage of White.

He said after White entered the airport, authorities already saw a .22 caliber bullet after passing the security inspection.

“He (White) even managed to insist on his rights,” Falcotello told reporters after the close-door preliminary investigation.

Falcotello said the police are only doing their duties.

The CCTV footage was used by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in filing the case against the airport police for violation of Republic Act 7438 or Defining Certain Rights of Persons Arrested, Detailed or under Custodial Investigation, violation of the Anti-Graft Law and Robbery/Extortion.

On the other hand, Atty.Lawyer Henecito Balasolla, counsel for Marvin Garcia and Ma. Elma Cegna of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), said the CCTV footage failed to establish the allegations of White that the respondents planted a bullet in his luggage in order for them to be able to extort money from the foreign national.

“Yung complaint [nila] ay base lamang sa hinala at pagdududa. Kaya namin pinapa-dismiss [yung kaso] dahil walang probable cause. It demands more than suspicion. Dapat may ebidensya. Dito [sa kasong it] wala [silang ebidensya].”

“Makikita naman sa CCTV footage na walang indication na may naglaglag o nagtanim ng bala sa luggage ni White,” Atty. Balasolla said.

Prosecutor Honeyrose Delgado has set the next hearing on February 1.