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NAIA screeners suspended for alleged extortion

By Ma. Cristina Arayata and Wilnard Bacelonia

February 27, 2023, 7:32 pm

<p><strong>STOPPING CORRUPTION</strong>. Several screeners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were placed under preventive suspension for allegedly extorting money from a Thai national. Authorities are considering filing of a criminal case aside from pursuing the administrative case. (<em>Screenshots from video posted by Piyawat Gunlayaprasit on Facebook</em>) </p>

STOPPING CORRUPTION. Several screeners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were placed under preventive suspension for allegedly extorting money from a Thai national. Authorities are considering filing of a criminal case aside from pursuing the administrative case. (Screenshots from video posted by Piyawat Gunlayaprasit on Facebook

MANILA – Several screeners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were placed under preventive suspension for allegedly extorting money from a foreigner, the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) announced Monday.

In a video posted on social media on Feb. 22, a female screener was seen putting something in the pocket of a male screener. The same female personnel allegedly took the money of a foreign passenger.

The video also showed that the female personnel returned the money, which the OTS said was 20,000 yen or around PHP8,000.

In a TV interview on Monday, OTS administrator Ma. O. Aplasca said the victim is a Thai.

"We identified at least five personnel who were involved. They were immediately relieved of their duties and are under preventive suspension while we initiate the conduct of a formal investigation," Aplasca said.

The official said the OTS will pursue the administrative case, and is also considering filing a criminal case.

"I think we should also exert an effort to file a criminal case. I look at it as a criminal offense already, which we cannot tolerate," he said.

Aplasca admitted it was not the first time that screening personnel have been involved in alleged extortion. Since July 2022, the OTS had already dismissed 14 staff, whom Aplasca estimates that around four were involved in extortion.

The other violations of erring personnel include the improper disposal of intercepted prohibited items, rude behavior, violation of the "No Tipping" policy, among others.

Extortion cases were proven upon review of the CCTV footage, he said.

Aplasca said the OTS is doing what it can to improve the financial benefits of its personnel, and added that a meager salary is not a reason for anomalies or corruption. 

Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe on Monday echoed calls to consider exempting NAIA employees from the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) following a recent incident involving an airport security personnel caught in a camera allegedly stealing money from a Thai passenger.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, admitted that she felt angry and ashamed at the same time after watching the video which has recently gone viral in social media.

"Hindi lang sapat suspindido kasi napakamaselan ng kanilang trabaho at hindi magandang ehemplo sa iba kung suspindido lang sila at makakabalik din sila (Suspension is not not enough because their job is so sensitive and it is not a good example if they will only be suspended and will come back again [to work])," Poe said.

However, the lawmaker also wants to look into the salaries of the country's airport personnel that might be one of their reasons for committing such misdeed.

"Walang excuse ha sa paggawa ng isang bagay na iligal kahit nangangailangan ka pero ang totoo nun, kapag sobrang gipit ka, dahil hindi ka binibigyan ng tamang sweldo, ay mas lalo kang mae-engganyong gumawa ng mga ganitong kalokohan (There is no excuse in doing something illegal when in need but the truth is, when you are so much in need, and not being properly compensated at the same time, you will be tempted to do these kinds of wrongdoings)," Poe said.

"Siguro dapat yung mga personnel natin sa airport tama at maayos ang kompensasyon para yung trabaho nila ay maayos din (Maybe our airport personnel should be well compensated so that they will perform their job properly)," she added. (PNA) 
 
 

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