Scaring tourists away from NAIA
MOST crimes are committed with a purpose, intent, and motive. The motive is mostly for personal gain in robbery or theft and vengeance or reward in murder. And what could be the motive of a Filipino worker of 26 years in Hong Kong for keeping one old bullet in her luggage or a Japanese tourist for having a bullet in his carry-on. The two have nothing to gain or appreciate in having a bullet in their bags.
Tanim-bala for extortion But the tanim-bala gimmick can benefit the person for doing it, and that person could be one of the security employees at the NAIA. Most passengers in a hurry to catch a flight can pay US$100 (R4,650) if threatened with detention for “committing tanimbala.”
This week, one Pinay returning to Hong Kong decided to put up a fight by hiring a lawyer. She said tanimbala was against her interest and she did not do it. She cried extortion and forced the airport management to conduct an honest-to-goodness probe. Two security employees are now under suspicion of planting the bullet and were promptly relieved.
For easy extortion Most veteran analysts believe that extortion by dropping a bullet into a passenger’s bag is PROFITABLE if the take is only US$100 to US$200 (R4,650 to R9,300). International travellers have important concerns to keep, and they treat petty extortion as a kind of accident not worth a bother. But the case of a Pinay worker in Hong Kong was different. She faced detention and the prospect of losing a job. Creating a scandal was worth a try. And for the first time, the tanim-bala extortion was beaten.
Illegal but... If one bullet is found in a passenger’s bag it’s only one of a dozen items. It should be confiscated as an illegal item. But detaining a passenger creates problems like: 1) missing an important business appointment, 2) losing a job in the case of a worker, 3) endangering the life of a seriously sick passenger, and 4) preventing a passenger from joining his family.
Not for rebellion One bullet does not mean it supports a rebellion here or abroad. A bullet is useless if there’s no gun of the same caliber to use it. If the passenger carrying the bullet is a Filipina who spent 26 years working abroad, it’s an insult to people of ordinary intelligence to believe she is a gunrunner. If a dangerous drug is found in a bullet’s shell in place of gunpower, this would be a different matter.
As precaution airport, employees should be thoroughly inspected before reporting to duty where tanim-bala is always found by security employees. Bags without locks should be inspected or touched in the presence of a witness who is not an airport employee.
One question One relevant question: Why is tanim-bala found only at NAIA and not in other international airports like Iloilo and Cebu? Petty extortion if left unpunished can lead to bigger crimes like stealing bigger luggage, bags, and boxes during the Christmas rush of passengers on vacation. Boxes of gifts big and small can be diverted by experts. But finding them before Christmas Day for distribution to family members and friends may not be possible.
It’s a trick
Tanim-bala is definitely a gimmick or trick to extort cash from innocent passengers. It becomes habitual if the authorities view it as the passengers’ fault. Vacationing passengers or business travellers won’t prosper by carrying one old caliber .45 ammo and for what purpose or motive?
Let’s move fast
Let the authorities move fast and put a complete stop to this form of extorting a fast buck from innocent passengers. It can affect our campaign for more tourists and steal the fun from our international TV ads. If tanim-bala is used on foreign tourists, the news can spread fast to tourists in bigger airports and make our NAIA security employees appear like a bunch of happy robbers and extortionists.
Let’s employ new security employees
Crimes against tourists like making them appear as ammo smugglers can make headlines in friendly countries. It is a lot easier to employ new security employees who are trustworthy than to investigate and punish the EXPERTS at NAIA. We can start replacing them now quietly but professionally.
(Comments are welcome at roming@pefianco.com)