Officials of Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) showed a video on the inspection done to a backpack where four bullets were found.

The video, according to the officials, would prove that no “tanim-bala" (malicious planting of bullets in luggage) was done, contrary to suspicions that circulated on social media. 

The backpack was a hand-carry baggage owned by a 47-year-old female passenger bound for Tacloban City.

The moment passengers, including the woman, reached the departure area of MCIA, they were already monitored by closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).

At the entrance of the terminal, a list is posted on objects prohibited inside the airport such as firearms, ammunition, and even replicas of toy guns, pellet guns, and rifles.

At the check-in counter, a similar list is posted.

Reminders from airline staff members on prohibited items are also constant.

The officials led by Atty. Glenn Napuli, MCIA assistant general manager, emphasized that the bullets were found in the woman’s hand-carry bag, not in her check-in luggage, which means that from the check-in counter she was bringing the bullets all the way to the final security screening.

Officials of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) said that the moment a bag goes through the X-ray tunnel, and a prohibited object is detected, the image is saved automatically in the system and rejected to a lane leading to a baggage inspector.

Once firearms, bullets, and explosives are detected by the X-ray machine, the baggage inspector will raise the concern to a supervisor who will in turn escalate the matter to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Unit (AVSEU) to witness the inspection along with the baggage owner.

In the video provided by officials of the MCIA that include Napuli, MCIA International Terminal Operations Division Manager Jemar Nietes, Police Colonel Rogelio Abran Jr., AVSEU 7 chief, and Lizel Mondejar, OTS regional chief, the woman was seen giving her consent to the inspection where four bullets were found in a blue pouch.

According to Nietes, he had a talk with the passenger who pointed out she does not have any idea about the bullets inside the pouch being a "property of the company."

Earlier, it was learned that the woman works as a company Human Resource manager, and is a resident of Lapu-Lapu City.

On April 1, 2025, the woman was taken again to the City Prosecutor’s Office to post bail. However, as the date was declared a holiday because of the Eid’l Fitr celebration of Muslim communities, the schedule was postponed.

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak tried to seek a comment from the woman but she declined.