MANILA - A senior citizen allegedly victimized by the "tanim-bala" or bullet planting modus is a former airport employee, the Public Attorney's Office said Tuesday. A witness also supported the claim of the elderly couple who fell prey to the ''tanim-bala'' scam.

Speaking to radio DZMM, PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said Salvacion Cortabista, 75, could not believe that she was arrested in the airport where she had worked for many years.

Salvacion and her husband, Esteban, 78, were barred from boarding their California-bound flight on April 19 after NAIA screeners found a live bullet inside the couple's hand-held luggage.

Elderly couple Esteban and Salvacion Cortabista were offloaded from their flight to Los Angeles, California after a live ammunition was found in the hand-carried bag of Salvacion. Raoul Esperas

It turns out Salvacion is a former employee of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

"Dati pala siyang empleyado ng MIAA. Umiiyak siya, 'Ako retired diyan sa MIAA, telephone operator [dati]. Bakit ako pa biniktima?' Masakit sa loob niya," Acosta said.

"Iyak siya nang iyak. Sabi niya, sariling dating niyang pinaglingkuran, doon pa ang naging dahilan [na siya'y] nakulong."

Salvacion, who can barely walk because of her aching muscles, also endured humiliation as airport officers took her mug shots and fingerprints, Acosta said.

Loida Cortabista-Magbag, the couple's daughter, told dzMM that her mother's blood pressure rose during the incident.

"Na-high blood pressure siya noong nangyari iyung sabing may bala sa bag niya. Sabi ng nanay ko from batok daw, parang na-kuryente, papunta sa puso hanggang sa kirot ng tuhod niya," Magbag said.

Magbag also observed that her father has been quiet and absent-minded since returning home to Boso-Boso, Antipolo, Rizal.

The PAO is preparing the couple's counter affidavit for the DOJ investigation.

Acosta is confident that the case will be dismissed for lack of "animus possidendi" or intent to possess.

READ: Lack of punishment breeds 'tanim-bala' - lawyer

WITNESS

The PAO chief said also revealed a witness has surfaced to support the Cortabistas' claim.

The witness was standing in line with the Cortabista when a live bullet was found inside the latter's hand-carried luggage on April 19, Public Attorney's Office (PAO) chief .

The Cortabistas denied owning the bullet, saying they were aware of the ban on bullet possession at NAIA. They added that it was their second time to travel abroad for the osteoarthritis treatment of Salvacion.

The couple accused wheelchair attendant Niño Namba of demanding P50,000 in exchange for releasing them from detention and allowing them to board their California-bound flight.

They also stressed that their luggage had passed two x-ray inspections before security officers Ferdinand Morales and Fatti Dame Go discovered the bullet inside the unzipped shoulder bag.

The couple had been ordered released pending further investigation, but a preliminary hearing on their case was set by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 3.

Acosta told radio dzMM that they will file complaints against the three airport employees as soon as they receive their witness' sworn statement.