Jasper (not his real name) tells us, "I remembered my pre-departure experience last September 25, 2015. I just flew in from Hong Kong en route to Bacolod. I had three (3) bags. Two (2) for check in and one back pack for my hand carry which has my laptop. During the final security check, an elderly lady clad with the airport police uniform was claiming that my back pack has a "bullet". She was rescanning my bag for three times. and kept on saying "may bala (there is a bullet)". I knew something was not right. So I approached the monitor. I asked, "Where?". Making sure that she hears the tone of my voice being sarcastic and near snapping (try talking to me after a red-eye flight and airport transfer from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2, then you would understand why I have such short patience for shenanigans). She pointed the metal looking strand (which was colored brownish to orangeish on her monitor). I looked at her and told her "Get me somebody who knows how to identify if that is a bullet or not. But do not dare open my bag".
An elderly man (quite in his early 50s) approached me. Without batting an eye I asked him, "Can anybody give me somebody who can identify if that is a bullet without opening my bag?". Instead of contesting my request he told the lady, "Di yan bala. Mahirap pabuksan yan. (That is not a bullet and it's hard to get the bag opened)". He delivered the lines with a matching "kindat" (sly wink) to the lady. Apparently the lady just asked for an apology from me. "Sorry sir, akala ko kasi bala (I thought it was a bullet)". I was too tired to answer back and just picked up my bag and proceeded to my boarding gate. I have just let it pass. But after reading all the "laglag bala gang" incidents and helpless people getting sacked because of it, I FEEL THE FRUSTRATIONS OF EVERY FILIPINO. SOMEBODY HAS TO ANSWER FOR ALL OF THESE!
