‘Laglag bala' and other ploys

There is such an outcry against the scam now known as the “laglag bala” or “tanim bala” that Malacañang has been asked to take a direct hand in probing it, and penalizing the guilty ones. It all started with the case of a pastor from the United States who was stopped at Customs because inspectors claimed to have found a bullet in his luggage. Now, why would someone bring a bullet when he does not have a gun, and why would a religious man be bringing one?

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It would be different if he had been from some mountain tribes where people believe in amulets and in using bullets for supposed protection from evil spirits. But the case of the pastor revealed something: The bullet was used by some officials in an attempt to extort money from him. The man told authorities that he was being asked to fork over P30,000 and all would be forgotten. I suppose he did not comply, so he was detained.

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But that could have been a clue that such a racket was going on in our international airport. Because, after that, several other cases of bullets being found in the luggage of travelers have cropped up. And, surprisingly, there didn't seem to be any serious efforts to curb the scam, much less to prosecute those involved in it. But we can just imagine the negative effects on our tourism efforts if they play the same tricks on foreign travelers. Of course some of the people there are also notorious for other modus in fleecing travelers.

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I myself had the misfortune to lose seven pieces of signature men's shirts that I had purchased in Las Vegas as pasalubongs for my brothers and nephews. Because our flight from Los Angeles was delayed, we had to spend the night in Manila, with our luggage left at the airport. When I got home in Bacolod all seven shirts of different colors were gone from my balikbayan box! But how could I prove they were in my luggage?
My suspicions were confirmed when a few weeks after, the police arrested some customs people shown on camera, opening luggage stored at the airport!

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Several years ago, my now late uncle, one of our favorite relatives whom we called Tatay Badong, and his wife Nanay Rosing, went to visit their son in Australia. Both were then in their seventies already, and while there, my aunt suffered a stroke. When she got better they decided to come home, and arrived in Manila with Nanay Rosing on a wheelchair, paralyzed and barely able to speak. Our uncle told us later that immediately upon arrival they were harassed by some people trying to mulct them, and trying to scare them with threats of opening their luggage and “exposing” them.

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One of them, a burly fellow, kept tugging at my uncle's arm. But he didn't know that this old man had been a boxing champion during his days in college. Irritated, and finally losing his temper, he turned around and swung an uppercut at the guy's chin that sent him flat on his back, stunned. All the other bullies fled, muttering “Ang lakas pala ng matanda!” Everything went on smoothly after that with everybody treating them politely.

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When my sister and I went with a group of Bacolod matrons on a cruise to a World Expo in Japan, we were told that we had a relative working at Customs who could help us with all the fuss. Sure enough, we met the relative whom we called Tita and who told us stories about her friendship with some of our folks on the Ramos side. So we felt very confident when we sailed back from Japan, sure that she was there to see us through. Indeed, we got off easily, but before we left, she whispered to me and my sister if we had any dollars left we could spare her? What a disappointment that was. But we were too ashamed to turn our backs, so we gave her a few dollars each. Not even your kin, you see, when they are in such company.

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Meanwhile, not a few people raised their eyebrows upon reading the news that presidential candidate Jejomar Binay has promised to build a subway in Metro Manila in case he becomes president. A subway in ever-flooding Manila? What would happen to passengers in case of a sudden storm and floods fill up the subways? But of course candidates do promise heaven and earth, so who can stop them from promising subways?*

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