‘Tanim bala’ at NAIA resurging again?

Fears of a resurgence of the “bullet-planting” scam have surfaced after a 69-year-old woman alleged she was harassed by security personnel at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Ruth Adel, who was traveling to Vietnam last 6 March 2025, said in a social media post that she was stopped by Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Screening Security Officers (SSOs) who claimed to have found a bullet casing in her luggage.

Adel — traveling with her son and daughter — said the incident occurred as they were rushing to their boarding gate. She described the security personnel as unprofessional and lacking empathy.

“They kept insisting I had a bullet casing, even though I had nothing like that in my bag,” Adel said. “I felt humiliated and assaulted, and the situation was extremely stressful.”

Adel and her son requested that her luggage be checked at the boarding gate to avoid missing their flight, but the OTS-SSOs insisted on escorting her to another area for examination.

This caused significant delays and nearly resulted in them missing their flight.

The victim said the security personnel initially claimed the bullet casing was in her suitcase, but later changed their story, saying it was in her handbag. This discrepancy, combined with what she described as the security personnel’s contemptuous demeanor and attempts to conceal their name tags, led her to believe they were trying to extort money.

The incident has sparked outrage and concern among travelers, particularly those who remember the “tanim-bala” scam that plagued NAIA in previous years.

“This incident is a clear reminder that the ‘bullet planting’ scam is still a threat at NAIA,” said a concerned traveler who requested anonymity. “It’s disheartening to see that despite previous efforts to curb this practice, it seems to be making a comeback.”

Meantime, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Eric Jose Ines has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We will not tolerate any irregularities happening at NAIA, especially in regard to the security and convenience of the passengers,” Ines said.

New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) — which recently partnered with Collins Aerospace to modernize NAIA — has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.

According to Adel’s account, she and her family were rushing to their boarding gate due to long immigration queues. Just before boarding, a security officer approached her, claiming to have found an “amulet,” later specified as a shell casing, in her suitcase. Adel said the officer laughed while making the claim, raising her suspicion.