The Philippines’ latest national embarrassment — the bullet-planting scamming that is gripping the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) — has many people on-edge. The modus operandi of this recently-publicised racket making the rounds in social media involves bullets being inserted in travellers’ luggage and then “discovered” by airport officials who then give the victims the option of paying a “fine” on-the-spot (wink-wink) or face arrest.
Travellers going through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have to take extreme measures.
(Source: @ilda_talk on Twitter)
The thing that seems to escape the sensibilities of petty crooks in the Philippines is that criminal fads like this, when done indiscriminately frequently enough, eventually get exposed and cracked down upon. It’s the criminal world’s equivalent of business fads like the lechon manok (roasted chicken) and shawarma (mediterranean wrap) rages of the past that made one-time entrepreneurs of many ordinary Filipinos. Take greed and add an abject lack of imagination, and you get crime Filipino style.
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Airport personnel shittin’ on their own backyard all but mirrors the Philippines’ culture of crime. In a country where senators and congressmen see no problem with the hallowed tradition of squirrelling away millions in public funds using bogus “non-government organisations” into phoney pet “projects”, it actually comes as a bit of a surprise that criminal activity of this sort being deeply-embedded in the country’s premiere airport still shocks Filipinos.
Filipinos are deeply-horrified whenever foreigners perceive or, worse, say something bad about their country and society. Filipinos take offense when they are generalised as crooked, undisciplined, boorish, or stupid — specially by foreigners. Yet a critical facility like the NAIA, where foreigners’ first impressions of the Philippines are forged, has seemingly remained beyond hope of rehabilitation despite decades of it being a source of profound national embarrassment.
The banal slobbery of Filipinos evident in a passenger lounge at the Manila International Airport Terminal 3.
For three straight years up to 2013, the NAIA was voted the “worst airport in Asia” by the travel website Sleeping in Airports. Like the Philippines’ criminal government, however, the sorry state in which the NAIA is in only reflects the character of the people who tolerate its continued failure.
Back in 2014, for example, a photo posted by former Philippine Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon on Twitter showing rubbish left behind by passengers at the NAIA Terminal 3 went viral. It can be regarded as evidence that airport officials alone cannot be blamed for its squalor. For that matter, public officials alone aren’t solely to blame for the squalor of any public facility in the Philippines.
In the same way, a criminal people who routinely elect criminal representatives to their Congress can be said to also largely account for the criminal management of their nation’s flagship international airport.
This culture of crime is evident in the way no less than the office of the President of the Philippines itself reportedly dismissed the recent bullet-planting incidents in NAIA as just “one isolated case” that should not be a cause of worry. This comes from an office into which reports the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) which is accountable for the quality of service provided by the NAIA. The DOTC under Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo ‘Jun’ Abaya has had an appalling track record of seeing critical public transport facilities in the Philippines fail under its watch over the last several years. Yet, despite this unimpressive performance, Abaya has remained within the favours of Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III who is known to coddle a close inner circle of friends and relatives working for him in government.
This is just the latest in a string of high-profile incidents that are all linked by the common denominator of routine neglect that has become sadly familiar to Filipinos who have long been resigned to the incompetence and criminal neglect that is more the rule than the exception in the Philippines.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
What is that idiot Abaya, doing with someone shielding him with umbrella? Is he too lazy to carry his own umbrella?
The “bullet planting scam” is the work of Abaya and his men. It is one way to raise money for the election for their candidates; maybe Mar Roxas and his Liberal Party.
They don’t want to use their own money. They cannot steal from the Pork Barrel, DAP, PDAF, etc…no one is likely to donate money to them.
So, they come out with this idea: “bullet planting scheme/scam”, to raise the needed money for campaign; and to buy votes.
It is a stupid scheme/scam. However, what do you expect from these stupid people.
Who in his/her right mind will carry a bullet without a gun? What do you do with that bullet in a foreign country? These people have no common sense.
Rename also the airport: “Manila International Airport”. Ninoy Aquino, Jr. is no hero. The Aquinos made him a hero. Let us sweep the Aquinos in the dustbin of history. They did nothing good for our country. They only protected the: Oligarchy, Feudalism and their Hacienda Luisita.
Hyden, let’s keep the name, for what could be the worst association to Aquino’s name than this headline:
Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport, not only the Worst Airport in the world but the Most Dangerous to pass through.
This has been going on for decades and generations of the same families are involved,not just Aquino’s.THE BEATLES were fleeced for the entire amount of box-office receipts just to be able to leave the country.Ringo states in the following video,”I HATED THE PHILIPPINES”, same old shit, different generations of families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQKSZF74z1g
I agree. It doesn’t matter whether he was a hero or not. The name says: this is the country where you get shot for believing things can get better.
a gun is to hard to plant
@ ADMIN….ABOUT TIME, someone had the BALLS to call out the outright thievery/chicanerry/dishonesty/SCUMBAGERRY of the people involved in the long running scams at N.A.I.A.. Personally ,I will NEVER enter the country through Manila again. The only way would be if an airplane I were on got diverted there in an Emergency.
After calling out the entire night shift and and especially the POS Old-Guy(Who laughingly threatened to ‘Blacklist me!’, after robbing me !!!) at Immigration personally…they’ll not be getting the opportunity to abuse/rob me ever again. I will say, the fact that I got ‘No Takers’ was worth the 4-5 days ‘delay’ and Eu 1,100.00 I got taken for, nevermind the cancelled tickets too.FUCKIN POS!
The problem is SO BAD that only elevating the wages of the employee’s at NAIA to 1st world wages, and then some,will comensate them enough to afford the life-style that their thieving ways afford them….SO THIS WIL NOT STOP, because they can not afford to STOP !Entire families are involved !
Said a female OFW recently:
“IF Aquino were a Man he would do something to stop it…”.
an interesting conversation followed.(He can’t, and WHY, he can’t were discussed….).
This is one of many reasons why the Failippines is a country BEST avoided.
Aquino is involved in the bullet planting scam…so, it will not stop…he ordered it…
Only in the Philippines, where a new scam is always being pulled. It’s very very hard to trust anyone in this country.
this is a crime of the few against the many – a tiny minority against the whole population, and what’s at stake is not just money, but the reputation of a nation;
Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash. ‘Tis something, nothing:
‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.”
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3, page 8
Only in the Philippines do people come up with such an infantile scam. Would the bullet not have been found already at the airport of origin and why on earth would anyone carry one in his bag? Pure nonsense that can only be dreamed up by primitive Filipinos.
This is a PRIME example of how this incompetent and useless Government can not even take care of the simplest things.
Why has no one in charge been fired???
What kind of a shithead infested Airport are they running where passengers are being blackmailed. What is next? Planting drugs on people? No one can tell me that the people in charge at the Airport have no idea who’s doing this. If they really have no clue, the more they should be kicked out on their ass.
It is a SCANDAL how fucked up this country is.
I’ve the same sentiment. Another proof that PNoy’s admin is inutile. Crimes and problems in NAIA are highlighted often enough that it made its spot as one of the worst airport in the world. What kind of leader allows scandal after scandal and mediocre to no action plan defines his government? *shakes head*
And the airport even bear his father’s name!
Benigno Aquino Sr is as dirty as hell. He is a commie !
It is not Benigno Jr to Blame. IT IS THE FILIPINO !!! Benigno cannot be anywhere everywhere anytime at the same time.
It is so (but yes, unconcerned citizens are also to blame). First of all if your leader and his government are not inutile, criminals will find it hard to come up with laglag-bala scam in our main international gateway. There will be tight security and preventative measures for such crimes. Their main concern will be the safety and comfort of the passengers. And here you will hear his admin and minions downgrading the crime. Saan ka nakakita ng mga pinuno na imbis na maging concern sa mga nabiktima at maaari pang mabiktima, imbis na magpatupad na agad ng pagbabago at preventative measures matapos marinig ang problema ay gumagawa pa ng excuse para hindi seryosohin ng mga tao ang krimen?
NAIA is now under the Dept. of Agriculture? Hahaha!
#ShabuPaPilipinas
It’s due to the “planting” of bullet in the baggage.
Bwa ha ha ha ha !!!!
First I thoughting Philippines not agricultural country because they cannot produce their own rice, onions, garlic, pork and beef. They cannot even export coconut water and ketchup.
I was wrong !!! Philippines is agricultural country after all !!!! They plant bullets !!!! And Evidences grow on trees. Witnesses are boughted. Affidavits are their evidences !!!!
GET REAL PHILIPPINES !!! bWA HA HA HA HA !
At Los Angeles International, San Francisco International and Hawaii Airport check-in counters:
“WARNING TO ALL PASSENGERS BOUND FOR MANILA. Please have your carry on and checked in bag shrink-wrap by ICE to avoid Philippine Airport Personnel plant bullets in your baggage”
In their PA System: “Attention. Attention. TO ALL PASSENGERS BOUND FOR MANILA. Please have your carry on and checked in bag shrink-wrap by ICE to avoid Philippine Airport Personnel plant bullets in your baggage”
At SanFo International Airport lines to Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific and airlines bound for Manila, their passengers carry their backpack shrink-wrap !!!!
I see shiny shimmer of shrink-wrap carry ons. One American asked, what’s with the shrink-wrap ?
Bwa ha ha ha ha !!!!
IT IS FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES !!!!!!!
Magtanim ng bala ay ‘di biro
OFW Maghapong nakayuko
Locals ‘Di man lang makatayo
Tourists ‘Di man lang makaupo.
Philippines is one huge garbaghe dump !!! Anyone can throw garbage anywhere except in places ” ‘HWAG TAPON BASURA DITO, DOON”
Philippines is also one huge toilet !!! Anyone can pee anytime anywhere except in places marked “”HWAG UMIHI DITO, DOON”
In 1stWorld, they have designated places to dump and pee. In the Philippines every where !!!! Wooooo hoooo !!!!!!!
DeFund U.P. They produced the most crooks than anyother universityies in the Philippines !!!!!
All notable crooks are graduates from U.P.!!!!
NAIA is the worst airport in the world !!! NO! NO! NO! Not NAIA as an airport, it is the Filipino passengers the worst passengers in the world.
That is why I never fly Philippine Air Lines !!! Because the passengers are noisy, rude and their old stewardesses are rude as well !!!!
I think guns would be more effective if bullets worked like boomerangs.