Daily TribuneDear Editor,
A recent report about an Office of Transport Security screener who was caught on closed-circuit television footage swallowing $300 in $100 bills, reportedly stolen from a departing Chinese passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, is a single shameful act that drags down the OTS and the government in general.
Accordingly, there are two general elements of the crime: The desire and opportunity, which, in the absence of one, crime cannot be committed.
In the new school of thought, there are now three — desire, opportunity, and instrument depending on the kinds of crime committed where the suspect needs a weapon, like in murder and robbery.
On several occasions, employees of the OTS, the counterpart of the Transport Security Administration of the United States, whose jobs are to ensure that no contraband or dangerous weapons are smuggled inside the commercial aircraft to address possible acts of terrorism, are instead the ones found to be in infraction with the law.
It is during these inspections of the passengers and their luggage that they have the opportunity of committing thieveries of many sorts.
During my tenure as the administrator of OTS, to deny them the opportunity to steal from the riding public, I prohibited them from wearing uniforms with pockets, including jackets.
But Filipino resiliency again proves this countermeasure ineffective. It's high time to address the very root causes of these problems. What drives them to commit this crime perennially? Being the former head of this office, one of the reasons is their intense desire to augment their meager income to survive aside from the absence of the security of tenure.
Most of them don't care about being caught and dismissed from the service because of the low salary and the absence of tenure of office and career pattern. Most, if not all, of them are contractual workers.
How do you think the present government should address this perennial problem of the OTS?
Addressing the issue of theft and corruption among OTS employees requires a multi-faceted approach that considers both the desire and opportunity elements of crime and the broader socioeconomic context.
Here are some steps that the present government could consider taking:
It's essential to recognize that addressing this problem will likely take time and a concerted effort from various stakeholders. The government should be persistent in its efforts to root out corruption within the OTS and create an environment where employees are motivated to uphold the highest ethical standards.
My one-cent opinion.
Art Mendez Evangelista
Former OTS Administrator
