US news anchor calls out ‘laglag bala’ scam

Posted by Greta Van Susteren on Wednesday, November 4, 2015

“What is wrong with some people?” Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren said in her segment “Off the Record” amid the series of bullet planting or “laglag bala scam” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).

Susteren, who is traveling overseas next week, said her Filipino-American friend tipped her off that international travelers were “being targeted by Filipino airport security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage.”

“This scam is all part of a plot to extort money out of the international traveler,” the anchor said.

She mentioned that 30 cases of ammunition-related incidents have been recorded in the last 12 months while five international passengers have been arrested in the past two weeks.

She said these passengers were “being targeted by Filipino airport security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage and then busting international travelers for having bullets in his bag. Even holding some passengers for days, telling them they can pay a fine or sit in the slammer facing charges.”

“I know what you’re thinking: what is wrong with some people? My answer? I just don’t know,” Susteren said.

In 2014, the Fox anchor got embroiled in an issue after she slammed the Thailand government for sitting on radar information regarding the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 where she was described by the The Bangkok Post as “rude and crude.”

Susteren was hailed as among the Forbes 100 most powerful women in 2015. JE