黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Three personnel from the Department of Transportation鈥檚 (DOTr) Office of Transport Security (OTS) have been dismissed following an alleged 鈥渢anim-bala鈥� (bullet-planting) incident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on March 6, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday.

Dizon said the terminations take effect on Monday, March 10, 2025.

鈥淪o we are hereby announcing the termination of all the people in the OTS who were involved in this incident 鈥� three personnel,鈥� he said in a press conference.

But he did not disclose the identities of the dismissed personnel.

The case came about after 69-year-old Ruth Adel was accused by OTS personnel of carrying a bullet in her luggage, an incident that nearly caused her to miss her flight to Vietnam.

READ: Passenger claims being victimized by 鈥榯anim-bala鈥�

Passenger鈥檚 account

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Adel said she and her family were already at the boarding gate when OTS personnel approached her, claiming they found an 鈥渁nting-anting鈥� (amulet) in her bag.

When Adel asked what an amulet was, a security officer, 鈥渨hile laughing,鈥� told her that an X-ray scanner had detected a bullet shell in her baggage.

According to Adel, she thought she was being 鈥減ranked鈥� because the security officer made the allegation 鈥渧ery casually.鈥�

She denied the claim and asked for an on-the-spot inspection of her luggage, but security personnel insisted she accompany them.

Adel and her family refused as their flight was already boarding.

The OTS personnel then called a supervisor, who later claimed the bullet shell was in her handbag, not in her luggage. They also showed her an X-ray image, supposedly proving their claim.

However, Adel said her bag did not have keys, unlike the one in the photo they were showing her.

Government response

Dizon condemned the incident, stressing that the agency will not tolerate any abuse of power from its personnel.

鈥淲e will not stand for any abuse. Any abuse will be met with the same result and the same swift action from us, as mandated and as ordered to us by the President himself,鈥� he said.

He also addressed government employees, especially from the transportation sector: 鈥淎lam ko mahirap mawalan ng trabaho, lalo na ngayon. Napakahirap ng buhay. Pero sana po, we are sending a message loud and clear to everyone in government, and everyone in the DOTr, everyone in the airport, everyone in the port, everyone in the railways, everyone in the road sector, LTO (Land Transportation Office), LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board), everyone, that we will not tolerate this sort of behavior against our citizens.鈥�

(I know losing a job is difficult, especially now. Life is hard. But I hope we are sending a message loud and clear to everyone in government鈥攖hose in DOTr, airports, ports, railways, the road sector, LTO, LTFRB鈥攖hat we will not tolerate this kind of behavior against our citizens.)

Dizon also apologized to Adel and her family for the incident and how the OTS personnel treated them.

鈥淚 profusely apologize for this incident. Again to, Ma鈥檃m Ruth [Adel], and to Kai [her daughter], and to everyone who has experienced this sort of traumatic event na pinagdadaanan nila sa airport..Kami po ay nag-aapologize鈥� Kami po ang nagsasabi na from now on, hindi na namin papayagan na mangyari ito,鈥� he said.

(I profusely apologize for this incident. Again, to Ma鈥檃m Ruth (Adel), to Kai (her daughter), and to everyone who has experienced this kind of traumatic event at the airport鈥�we sincerely apologize. We assure you that from now on, we will not allow this to happen again.)

READ:

When asked whether an amulet was indeed found in Adel鈥檚 luggage, Dizon said the investigation is still ongoing.

鈥淥ngoing po ang investigation, wag na po nating pangunahan,鈥� the DOTr chief said.

(The investigation is ongoing; let鈥檚 not get ahead of it.)

鈥淭he appropriate investigations will be conducted, and the proper administrative charges will be filed after the investigations continue,鈥� Dizon added.

Dizon likewise assured the public that stricter protocols would be implemented by the agency to prevent similar incidents in the future.