Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said he fired three employees of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) over alleged involvement in a “tanim-bala” or baggage pilferage incident last March 6 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Dizon said in a press conference on Monday that the three employees, who were not named, were fired as part of the ongoing investigation on the incident that took place in NAIA 3 last March 6.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered an investigation of this case, the first reported since 2015 when outgoing passengers were surprised to find live bullets inside their bags after inspection.

"I hate to do this. I know how difficult it is to lose a job, especially in these difficult times. But we are sending a message loud and clear to government, everyone in the government, everyone in the DOTr,'' said Dizon.

A video went viral on social media over the weekend after a family of three enroute to Vietnam were harassed by three OTS (Office of Transportation Security) employees who allegedly found a bullet in one of the bags during security screening, chasing the passengers to the boarding gate.

The passenger, 69-year-old Ruth Adel, said that she and her family almost missed their flight after NAIA security claimed they have an x-ray image of a bullet casing inside their luggage.

However, the OTS employees were unable to find any bullet casing in any of their bags after a physical inspection at the boarding gate.

Bisnar said the three OTS employees were unsure of which passenger or bag held the alleged bullet casing.

“The follow-up check was done randomly, and the employees were unable to find the bullet casing,” Bisnar clarified.

Dizon also plans to set up a hotline where passengers can report any incidents that take place at NAIA. Yzabela Velez-White/DMS