CEBU, Philippines -Two plane passengers bound for Manila have accused a policeman of the Philippine Center for Aviation Security (PCAS-7) at the Mactan Cebu International Airport of extortion and illegal detention.
Anabelia Watanabe, a Filipina and a resident of barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City and Japanese husband Kazou Watanabe, were going through the X-ray area last Saturday when an airport policeman assigned at the X-ray machine stopped them.
The couple was to board a Manila-bound plane on their way to Kansai, Japan.
According to Anabelia, their belongings were put on hold by airport officials claiming powder was detected in their baggage by the airport’s X-ray machine.
“Pag-abot namo sa X-ray area, gipaablihan ang akong bagahe kay naa daw powder nakita sa X-ray.
Nagyawyaw ko kay hasol na pero ako ra gud gi-ablihan ang bagahe pero gidakop ko nila ug ang akong bana sa airport police. Ang powder nakita kay sinigang mix ra gud kanang Knorr,” Anabelia said in her letter.
Anabelia said, she and her husband’s passports were confiscated and were told these will not be released unless they sign a waiver.
“Kay Sabado man, dili mi kakuha og abogado. Ilaha na hinuon mi gihadlok nga prisohon. Ang mga airport police sige ingon nga aregluhon na lang para dili daw mi mapreso,” she said.
Anabelia said the airport police demanded P20,000 as settlement.
Anabelia told the airport police that they don’t have the amount considering the money they had spent for the Cebu-Manila and Manila-Japan tickets.
She alleged the airport police had told them they would not release the passports until they could come up with the amount on Monday, April 19.
“Wala man kaabot ang among kwarta kay mahal gud amo palit sa ticket.
Ingon ang usa ka airport police nga ila daw mi buhian pag-Sabado ug pabalikon mi sa airport sa Lunes buntag para sa areglo ug sa waiver kay kung dili, dili nila ihatag ang amo passport,” Anabelia said, adding that they were released at 4:30 in the afternoon last Saturday on the condition they will be come back with the payment.
PCAS7 director Joselito Salido is on leave but another official of the airport said the incident will be investigated.
The couple, through a letter, later on sought the help of dySS anchorman Pablito “Bobby” Nalzaro, naming the policeman.
The airport police had figured in alleged irregularities before.
The airport police allegedly released a Norwegian national who was arrested for smuggling an unlicensed fire arm. He did file charges against the foreigner but allowed him to leave the country.
In another incident, the police and airport personnel were outsmarted by a 12-year-old boy from the Parian Drop-in Center who boarded a plane minus a ticket considering the tight security checks.
On March 2, Annabeth Quizon, who was leaving for Doha, Qatar, lost her cell phone at the passenger X-ray area.
Quizon placed her Samsung S5233 touch screen at the final X-ray checking area manned by aviation personnel. But she forgot to retrieve her phone when she left for the pre-departure area.
The phone was gone when Quizon went back for it. The duty officer at that time denied seeing any phone. (FREEMAN NEWS)