DOTr announces termination of 3 airport personnel involved in alleged ‘tanim-bala’ scheme

March 10, 2025 , 12:19 PM

By Bea Rollo

(March 10, 2025) – Department of Transportation (DOTr) Sec. Vince Dizon has announced the termination of three personnel from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) who were allegedly involved in a recent “tanim-bala” or bullet planting incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a press conference on Monday, Dizon emphasized that the government will not tolerate abuse of power, particularly when it comes to the safety and welfare of citizens.

“We are hereby announcing the termination of all the people in the OTS who are involved in the incident,” Dizon said.

“The power and authority that is given to people in government is not to abuse people, is not to maltreat people,” he added.

This follows the incident that involved Ruth Adel, a senior citizen, and her daughter Cai, who were traveling to Vietnam.

After clearing security checks, they were stopped by airport security officers, who claimed to have found a bullet in Ruth’s bag. Despite the officers’ insistence, no bullet was found after a thorough inspection.

In an exclusive interview with News5, passenger Cai Adel claimed that the x-ray photo presented by airport security officers was not her mother’s bag. She insisted that the items shown did not match what her mother had packed.

According to Cai and her mother, they soon realized they were being targeted in a bullet-planting scam at the airport.

“Sabi ko baka tanim-bala ‘to, tama ‘tanim-bala na naman kayo no!’ Nakapagsalita na ako kasi galit na galit na ako eh,” said Cai.

No bullet was found in their belongings after a thorough inspection. However, Cai expressed frustration at the security officers’ conduct during the incident.

“Walang ka-remorse, remorse after ng pangyayari na wala naman nakita hindi man lang nag-sorry.”

Dizon condemned the behavior of the OTS personnel, highlighting the emotional and mental toll it took on the victims.

“We will not tolerate this kind of behavior, especially against our citizens,” Sec. Dizon said.

He stressed that the government is serious about addressing corruption and misconduct.

“We are not fooling around…if you think we are doing this for show, you are wrong.” Sec. Dizon stated.

Dizon acknowledged the difficulty of losing a job but said accountability is necessary to restore public trust.

“I hate to do this; it’s hard to lose a job, especially now when life is difficult. But we need to send a message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”

The Adel family managed to continue their trip to Vietnam, but they said the incident left them traumatized.

They are now considering filing charges against the officers involved.

The infamous “tanim-bala” scheme, which first surfaced in the early 2010s, appears to have re-emerged in 2025. The scheme involves airport security allegedly planting bullets in travelers’ luggage and then extorting money in exchange for clearing the passenger’s name and passport record.

“The Office for Transportation Security (OTS), under the Department of Transportation, is solely in charge of security screening, including x-ray baggage inspections,” New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said in a statement today.

“Regarding reports of a suspected empty bullet shell detected in a passenger’s bag during screening at NAIA Terminal 3, NNIC immediately coordinated with OTS and reviewed CCTV footage related to the case. OTS has taken the lead in the investigation and will be issuing a statement to discuss their findings and any next steps.”

(With reports from Reiniel Pawid, News5)

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