Woman arrested at Mactan Airport for carrying four bullets

A 47-year-old female passenger was arrested at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Thursday, March 27, after four bullets were found in her baggage during a routine X-ray inspection.

The woman, a Lapu-Lapu City resident and human resources manager traveling to Tacloban City, failed to present any documents authorizing possession of the ammunition and claimed she did not know it was in her bag.

Airport security personnel noticed suspicious items in her bag and conducted a manual search that revealed the bullets; MCIA released a cellphone video taken by their security screener as evidence.

She will face charges for violating Republic Act 10591 on firearms and ammunition as well as the Commission on Elections gun ban.

MCIA Aviation Authority General Manager Julius Neri denied allegations of 'laglag bala', stating that CCTV footage around the airport monitor workers to ensure no tampering occurs, and assured that there has been no incident of this kind since 2016.

The DOTr also clarified that incidents like this are likely due to passengers accidentally packing bullets, not a return of the 'tanim-bala' modus operandi.