#NoToTanimBala - A Call... can also be PNoy's Damage Control

Photo Credit | PEBA, Inc. Facebook Page

TanimBala Si Nanay Gloria Ortinez ay naging biktima nitong nakaraang linggo, at di na mabilang na iba pa, Baka bukas makalawa, pinsan mo, kaibigan o ikaw na mismo ang maging biktima ng tanim-bala o laglag-bala sa NAIA. Segundo lang daw na malingat ka, ISANG BALA KA LANG, SIRA ANG KINABUKASAN, KUNG WALA KANG P80,000 IKAW AY NASA KULUNGAN, WASAK ANG PAMILYA, MAY RECORD KA SA NBI KAHIT ANG KATOTOHANAN WALA KANG KASALANAN.

Hindi natin hahayaang magpapatuloy itong KASAKIMAN na ito ng iilang tao, kapwa pa man din Pilipino! Sigaw ng mga OFW at mga kapamilya, kamag-anak ng mga OFW at ng sambayang Pilipino, WAKASAN NA ANG TANIM-BALA! Ngayon na! Ito ang aming rally sa social media at hinihikayat namin ang mga nakakabasa nito na ISHARE, KOPYAHIN O IDOWNLOAD AT GAWING PROFILE PICTURE HANGGANG SA MATAUHAN SILA at makita ang ating galit, ngitngit, takot at pangamba!

Once again, to show my support and in unity with the online call #NoToTanimBala #NoToLaglagBala of many OFW groups, I have changed my Facebook profile picture. 

The call is addressed to the leadership of our government to act now and to act quick before the remaining reputation and respect for the Filipinos be fully eroded! The government has obviously failed to reform and address the alleged accusations that it is the Airport Security Officers who have been dropping bullets into the bags of unsuspecting passengers afterwards threatening to charge or arrest them for carrying illegal ammunition in exchange of a settlement.

The best that our government has done so far is to allay the fears of passengers by downplaying the number of cases involving a scam. Communications Secretary Coloma described the cases as just isolated and assured the public using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) they have nothing to worry about. “We need to place these in the proper context,” he said. “Thousands use the airport everyday and only a few of them are found with bullets.” 

In my disappointment to the government's inaction, the flak and the negative publicity our country is getting, I posted a hurriedly written but coming from my heart note in my Facebook profile picture.

Dear PNoy, 

Walang undas-undas sa aming mga OFW ngayon! Sobra-sobrang kahihiyan na ang naidulot ng mga pangyayari sa ating bansa at yan ay nagpapakita ng uri ng iyong liderato sa ating bansa. Kami ang iyong boss, di ba? Di ako mahiyang magsabi nito sa iyo dahil binoto kita. Bilang isang OFW, ako ay nakikiisa sa milyon-milyong mga OFW saan mang dako ng mundo upang ipaabot sa iyong liderato na dapat ng wakasan ang drama at kalokohan ng Tanim Bala na ito. 

The recent outrage in social media alleging that airport security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila have been putting bullets in luggage of passengers to accuse them of violating Section 28 of R.A. 10591, otherwise known as the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act” must be STOPPED NOW! 

It is now becoming an international embarrassment and a big disgrace to NAIA as an institution, and to the whole country! Nakapangalan pa naman sa iyong ama ang paliparan. Pakisabi na rin pala kay Coloma na hindi isolated cases and laglag bala. How can it be an isolated case when the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) reported that thousands of bullets were found in passengers' baggage at the NAIA this 2015? Tsaka di naman sa numero ang kahihiyan, di ba? Kaunti man o maraming insidente ng Laglag Bala, ang kapalit ay ang kahihiyang naidudulot nito sa bawa't mamayang Pilipino (kung meron pang naiwang hiya).  

Wawasakin na ng ‪#‎LaglagBala‬ Syndicates ang pangarap ng mga OFW, di pa rin nangangamba ang ating pamahalaan? Mawawala na ang industriya ng Turismo sa ating bansa, di  pa rin nangangamba? Pinagtatawanan na tayo ng mga ibang mga lahi dahil sa corruption sa ating mga institusyon at agensya ng pamahalaan, di  pa rin nababahala ang ating pamahalaan?  

President Noynoy, kung meron ka pang naiwang malasakit para sa mga mamayang Pilipino at sa kapakanan ng Pilipinas, panahon na upang mapatunayan mo ito! Your swift action may mean cutting off your ties with friends that you have appointed especially those at the corrupt institutions and agencies of the government, including the leadership at MIAA. We want to see an immediate closure of the issue which means many friends' heads will roll! We give you the honors to do a roll call now! 

Ang iyong Boss! 

‪#‎NoToTanimBala‬ ‪#‎NoToLaglagBala‬