A Filipina single mother of four bound for work in Qatar was barred from proceeding to her flight after a bullet was found in her bag in a routine inspection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday.
Melody Valdez said in a radio interview that she missed her flight to Qatar after airport screening discovered a bullet inside the pocket of her bag.
”Hindi ko po alam kasi wala po talaga akong dalang bala dahil alam ko naman na bawal po iyon eh,” Valdez told radio station dzMM.
”Talagang napapanood ko sa nangyayari sa NAIA kaya bakit naman ako magdadala ng bala eh alam ko naman na bawal po.”
Valdez said she managed to wrap her bigger luggage with tape but failed to do so in the smaller bag, where a .45-caliber bullet was found.
She was supposed to fly to Qatar for the third time. With Valdez’s travel plans stalled, her agency will try to settle her problem with her employer while she is receiving legal assistance from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
Under the leadership of Persida Rueda-Acosta, PAO urged air passengers to seek its help in case they fall victims to the alleged ‘tanim bala’ scheme.
Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya earlier said authorities recorded 2,184 passengers carrying bullets in 2013. This dropped to 1,813 in 2014. As of October 2015, airport authorities have so far recorded 1,394 cases of passengers carrying bullets.