Lawyer Joseph Plazo Exposes Bullet Scandal at Manila

Airport. Supplies Legal Advice to Aggrieved.

Attorney Joseph Plazo Exposes Bullet Scandal at Manila Airport. Supplies Legal Advice to
Oppressed.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) -Numerous passengers -- foreigners included

-- have been complaining in the recent
weeks of being framed for possession of live
ammo inside their baggage in various
Philippine airports.
The Philippine National Police-Aviation
Security Group (PNP-AVSeG) recorded 30
alleged cases of "tanim bala" [planting of
bullets in bag] or "laglag bala" [dropping of
bullets in luggage] from January to
November 2015, while the Manila
International Airport Authority (MIAA)
recorded five alleged cases in the past two
weeks.
Presidential Communications Operations
Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma
Jr. before called the reported instances as
isolated, but he said the government was
investigating the matter.
The "tanim bala" scheme allegedly involves
airport security officials who plant live
ammo to be able to extort an exorbitant
amount of money from the passenger
caught with the deep-seated bullet inside
their luggage.
Under Republic Act 10591, it's unlawful for
anyone to own or purchase firearms and
ammunition without the permit to do that.
To avoid falling prey to the "tanim bala" scheme, Joseph Plazo of Plazo Associates Law shared his
suggestions as an attorney on how it is possible to safeguard your luggage and the way you are able
to practice your http://thefreethoughtproject.com/rights-checkpoints/ legal rights should you become
a victim of the alleged scam.
Use hard case luggage, avoid totes that have outside pockets.

Some concerned citizens have posted videos of how easy it is to pry open the zippers of a padlocked
bags; all it'll require is a ballpoint pen to dislodge the zipper to open the bag with locks and you also
won't even understand that your baggage was tampered.
Joseph Plazo guided travelers to pick a hard-case bag sealed with heavy duty padlocks, or so the
passenger would readily understand if their bags had been tampered.
He also suggested using bag without external pockets. If it's outside pockets -- no matter how really
small or seemingly concealed -- don't forget to fix it with heavy duty padlocks.
Envelop your Atty. Joseph Plazo whole bag in cling wrap.
Should you already have a luggage that's not a hard case, you can nevertheless opt to use it, but add
a closely-wrapped layer of cling wrap all around your luggage for safety.
"Envelop the entire bag in plastic. The shrink wrap makes sticking in a bullet challenging," he said.
MIAA representative Dave de Castro said that a fresh service to wrap travelers' bags is currently
accessible at airport terminals and a numbers of passengers had already availed of the service.
Let the officials go through your bag -- but simply in the existence of witnesses, a lawyer, and
official's supervisor.
Eric Apolonio, spokesperson of the Civil Aeronautics Association of the Philippines (CAAP), guided
travelers to keep an watch on their luggage at all times, even as it goes through the airport security
X ray and walk through metal detectors.
If an airport security employee claims to have seen a bullet in the X ray of your baggage and insists
that you are carrying contraband and earnings to open your bag, Plazo said that you have the right
to delay the launch of your bag until your attorney, the airport official's supervisor, or third-party
witnesses arrive.
When your attorney, the official's supervisor, and witnesses are already with you, open the locks of
your bag, and let the airport officials take it from that point.
Joseph Plazo stressed that you need to let the airport official go through the contents of your bag
and find the alleged bullet seen in the X ray, including that if the bullets were planted, it will not
bear your fingerprints.
"A bullet with none of your fingerprints sheds reasonable doubt on the possession of the said item,"
Plazo said.
You've legal advice the right to remain silent.
Section 12 of the Philippine Bill of Rights in the 1987 Constitution clearly states that you've got the
right to remain silent.
Joseph Plazo added that, if the airport officials demand you to admit that you own the bullet found in
your suitcase, you can stand by your right to remain silent and that any entrance you may be made
to make without the presence of an attorney would be inadmissible in court.

Understand your legal rights.

Joseph Plazo reminded air passengers that no police officer can establish bond, as only judges are
empowered by law to establish bond.
"Corrupt officials may say: 'Mister, you simply need to pay [extortion amount here], and we'll allow
you to go.' This is really a trap," Plazo said.
Public officers proved to have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act RA 3019 is going to
be punished by a fine or incarceration.
In the event the airport officials detain you arbitrarily, Plazo said you have ammunition to fight back
by filing a request for a writ of habeas corpus or a complaint of arbitrary detention.
"Habeas corpus is a legal proceeding to obtain autonomy. The remedy is appropriate where the
rogue authorities have no probable cause nor basis to hold you, while arbitrary detention is a crime
equivalent to illegal detention, more popularly called kidnapping," Plazo said.
CNN Philippines' Kristine de Guzman and Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.