5 NAIA security screeners suspended over alleged extortion
Five security screeners of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were placed under preventative suspension after videos which circulated in social media showed them allegedly extorting money from a Thai tourist on February 22, 2023.
The videos, which were posted by Thai national Piyawat Gunlayaprasit last Wednesday on his Facebook account, were taken at the security screening checkpoint of NAIA Terminal 2 departure area.
The first video showed female screener putting something in the pocket of a male screener. Piyawatâs video caption said the female screener allegedly stole cash from another Thai tourist Kitja Thabthim and slipped it into her male colleague’s pocket.
The second video showed the same female personnel returning the money, which was 20,000 yen or around PHP8,000, to the Thai tourist. She is heard begging Piyawat to delete the video because she has “seven kids.”
Following the incident, the OTS released a statement that said it already identified the involved officers and relieved them from duty. The OTS also said that investigators were preparing to file the appropriate administrative cases against the officers.
“These illegal acts will not be tolerated and we will apply the full force of the law to penalize the perpetrators. They shall not only be dismissed from the service but shall also be put behind bars for their criminal acts that tarnish the reputation and integrity not only of OTS but the entire country in general,” the OTS said in the statement.
Netizens quickly slammed the shameful incident, saying that it not only reinforces the disgraceful standing of NAIA as one of the world’s worst airports but also tarnishes the Philippines’ reputation as a tourist destination.
