Ombudsman urged to probe NAIA screeners

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman should conduct a lifestyle check on all personnel and officials of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) following alleged incidents of extortion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said yesterday.

He also said independent probers should conduct the investigation in connection with the alleged extortion racket being run by certain airport personnel, like the National Bureau of Investigation.

He said he has received tips that many OTS and MIAA personnel are living beyond their means because of the various moneymaking schemes that could include the “laglag-barya” racket that had just been exposed by their victims.

The extortion scheme involves planting bullets in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers, who are later asked to cough up money for their release.

Lenient

He said the action of OTS director Miguel Oraa where he merely transferred his personnel who were accused in two cases of “laglag-bala” incidents speaks a lot about the extraordinary lenience of the agency’s officials in treating rogue staff. 

“Extortion is a serious offense. They should have been suspended and held in custody pending results of their investigation,” Nograles said.

“Simply transferring them to another unit gives me the impression that there is really collusion in the OTS to cover up these money-making rackets at the NAIA. While other countries see their airports as a source of pride, it’s a crying shame that ours have become our source of embarrassment,” he said.

No evidence

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Rolando Recomono said yesterday there was no evidence to prove OTS personnel are involved in the “laglag-bala” extortion scheme, ABS-CBN reported.

He said the OTS investigation, based mainly on security camera footage, did not find any airport personnel engaging in the extortion scheme, citing the allegations of balikbayan Rhed Austria de Guzman and American missionary Lane Michael White.

He said what the OTS probe found was that certain airport personnel did not follow the correct procedures in the case of De Guzman. These personnel have been suspended and will be charged administratively, he added.

Suspensions

On the other hand, the MIAA has suspended 25 OTS bag inspectors and X-ray machine operators since August for various offenses, according to Col. Donardo Torres, head of the MIAA’s Intelligence and Access Management Department.

He did not reveal the names of the employees but said they are under investigation and their security access passes have been canceled, preventing them from entering the airport.

Airport officials, who asked not to be named, said that after the 9/11 bombings, the MIAA created the Airport Security Inspectorate Office, whose personnel make a report every month on the behavior of OTS employees and submit the report to the DOTC, which supervises the OTS.