Security at the Batasang Pamabansa in Quezon City found a bullet inside the bag of the police escort of First District Rep. Rene Relampagos on the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday but the solon dismissed the incident as a “non-issue”.

Relampagos told DYRD Balita that his police escort, PO3 Bobby Noog, was momentarily barred from entering the venue when Congress security saw the bullet through a scanner.

The live ammunition was accidentally dropped inside Noog’s bag, said Relampagos, noting that the policeman was aware of the event’s protocol.

“My close-in security, a member of the Philippine National Police, forgot to check his bag when he entered the premises of the HOR (House of Represntatives),” Relampagos said. “As is the protocol, the close-in security was asked to dispose of said bullet by returning it to his car which he promptly did”.

According to Relampagos, the incident was immediately resolved when Noog presented his police and security personnel identification cards.

However, Relampagos lamented the media’s treatment of the incident which took place during a widely covered national event, saying that it was sensationalized and “blown out of proportion”.

The Bohol representative said that he received text messages notifying him of news on the incident while others had thought that he was arrested, which he immediately debunked.

“News spread like fire in the quadmedia without anyone from the media confirming with me nor my office about the incident”, he said. “This was exactly what was pointed out by the president when he spoke of bona fide media”. (with reports from Allen Doydora)