Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) operator New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) announced that a thorough investigation on the reported incident of a suspected empty bullet detected in the bag of a passenger while undergoing screening at the NAIA Terminal 3 is now being done and that the findings and any next steps will be announced soon.
Meantime, NNIC general manager Lito Alvarez assured that passenger safety and security at the NAIA is a shared effort among multiple government agencies, each with its own responsibilities.
The Office for Transportation Security (OTS), under the Department of Transportation, is solely in charge of security screening, including x-ray baggage inspections, he said.
The NNIC, he said, immediately coordinated with OTS and reviewed CCTV footage related to the case and OTS has taken the lead in the investigation and will be issuing a statement to discuss their findings and any next steps.
Alvarez assured that in order to prevent similar incidents and strengthen public confidence, the NNIC is working with the OTS to reinforce security monitoring, proper screening procedures, and transparency in security operations.
“Our priority is to maintain an airport environment that is safe and efficient for all travelers. For inquiries regarding security procedures and the investigation, we refer passengers to the OTS,” he stated.
