Viral OTS screening officer relieved

The Office for Transportation Security confirmed on Thursday that the female security screening officer involved in the theft of $300 from a departing Chinese national passenger at NAIA Terminal 1 has been relieved.

According to OTS administrator Ma.O Aplasca, the footage from the CCTV camera is clear and was used as basis to prove the passenger's complaint about the loss of money in his wallet when he went through the final security check.

However, the OTS chief refused to name the 28-year-old female OTS personnel because they have to conduct a follow-up investigation on who the accomplices were in the robbery.

The OTS initially hid the incident of theft involving their SSO, but the said issue erupted after some OTS staff spoke to the airport in-house media because they also sympathized with the robbery issue.

Reports disclosed that the incident happened on 8 September and the OTS did not release it to the media for almost two weeks, giving the reason that the investigation was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority expressed dismay at the incident as MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co issued a warning that any airport frontliners whose actions undermine MIAA's efforts to improve service standards at the airport have no place in the NAIA.

The OTS, on the other hand, was instructed by the Department of Transportation to file the requisite charges against the security screening staff.

In other developments, some senators on Thursday were one in saying that unscrupulous activities of airport officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport must be put to an end.

In separate statements, Senators Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa demanded an investigation into the new scheme of airport screening officers to steal valuable items from passengers at the country's main gateway.

Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, condemned the incident which she described as "infuriating and embarrassing."

"It seems that they [airport officials] never run out of gimmicks to steal money at the airport," she said referring to the viral video.

Villanueva echoed the same sentiment, adding that the incident would drive tourists away from visiting the country.

For his part, Dela Rosa said the OTS and DoTr should work hand in hand to "get to the bottom of this newly discovered modus operandi at NAIA."

"We are hurting our own reputation before the international arena if this crime is not being addressed immediately," Dela Rosa said.

With Jasper Dawang and Jom Garner