‘Laglag’ or ‘tanim bala’ scam, blowing up in the face of the Aquino administration
‘Laglag’ or ‘tanim bala’ scam, blowing up in the face of the Aquino administration
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat perspective
Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya of the Department of Transportation and Communications is again at the center of another scandalous issue – after the MRT/LRT breakdowns and mishaps – this time for the laglag or tanim bala scam. The scam involves the planting of bullets in passengers’ bags then extorting money from them to avoid being charged for the supposed offense.
Abaya has been complaining that the issue has been ‘blown out of proportion’ and cited statistics that only 1,510, or .004 percent, of the 32.4 million passengers who passed through the country’s four airport terminals were arrested for alleged possession of live bullets.
But again, Abaya misses the point. The point is not the number of passengers affected as compared to the total number of passengers who have used the country’s airport terminals. The reason that this issue has been generating so much protests and has been making the headlines in the past seven weeks or so is because of the Aquino government’s attempts to downplay the issue and its apparent inclination to drag its feet in addressing it. All government officials involved including Abaya, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado, the Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup), and Office of Transportation Security administrator Roland Recomono have been denying that the problem exists. Even Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas, who once headed the Department of Transportation and Communications, contributed to the seeming cover up by claiming that the issue was just highlighted to put the administration, and the ruling party, in a bad light.
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