Immigration chief: Unruly tourists, passengers to be handcuffed

MANILA, Philippines — Prompted by the recent altercation between an Immigration agent and a Chinese tourist, the Bureau of Immigration will soon equip their personnel with handcuffs to discourage resistance of unruly tourists and passengers at the country's airports.

Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said Thursday that manhandling of suspicious tourists who fight back should be prevented.

"May panukala ang airport operations na kung pupuwede mabigyan ng posas para may proteksyon yung pasehero at saka yung immigration officer sa airport," Mison said in an interview on an ABS-CBN morning show.

He also expressed regret that an employee of the bureau lost patience and hit back the insubordinate Chinese tourist, who bit and slapped airport officers.

Also read: BI suspends agent over NAIA scuffle with unruly Chinese

"Ang aming [standard operating procedure] talaga [is] we will exercise maximum restraint. Hindi trabaho ng lingkod bayan ang manakit ng kahit sino," Mison said.

The Immigration official also admitted that agents are ill-equipped in handling such situations that can have diplomatic consequences.

"Hindi namin naaksyunan po 'yan pero ang insidente na 'yan ay nagbibigay ng dahilang upang i-equip ang mga tao sa airport," Mison said.

On Wednesday, the bureau suspended confidential Immigration agent Rashid Rangiris for "not following standard operating procedure and code of conduct" in slapping and pushing Chinese tourist Jiang Huixiang at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Monday.

The incident was caught on a cellphone camera.

Huixiang is seen shouting, hitting and kicking Rangiris who was taking her to the Immigration exclusion room.

Related story: Mison reacts to viral post vs rude Immigration supervisor