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A grenade and a knife concealed in a handcarried backpack of a Filipino-American passenger was intercepted by screeners from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS).
OTS is an agency attached to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). The screeners promptly turned over the contraband to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Security Group (AvseGroup) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.
Supt. Ricardo Layug, chief of the Aviation Security Unit – National Capital Region, said an MK2 fragmentation grenade and a knife were found inside the backpack of US-bound passenger Cipriano de Guzman.
Layug said De Guzman, 58, checked in at a China Airlines flight bound for Orlando, Florida via Taiwan and decided to go out of the departure area to use an adjacent comfort room.
De Guzman was blocked by airport guards when he tried to re-enter the terminal using the exit door.
De Guzman was told to use the main entrance for all passengers. This resulted in the discovery of the grenade and knife.
The Filipino-American denied owning the grenade and knife. He could not explain why it was inside his backpack.
Layug said charges of illegal possession of explosives and deadly weapon will be filed against De Guzman at the Pasay Prosecutor’s Office.
De Guzman refused to give an interview with airport reporters when sought for his statement.
Text and photo: Raoul Esperas for ABS-CBNnews.com
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
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