NAIA screener set to sue Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III

MANILA, Philippines — The airport screener who was bullied by ACTS-OFW party-list Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III is set to file charges against the lawmaker, an official said yesterday.

Office of Transportation Security head executive assistant Napoleon Cuaton said the OTS will assist Hamilton Abdul, 27, when he files affidavits of complaint with the Pasay City prosecutor’s office and the House of Representatives ethics committee.

“We will not abandon our staff, especially in this situation,” Cuaton said, adding that Bertiz could be charged with violating Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes the crime of resistance and disobedience to a person in authority.

Bertiz was seen in a closed-circuit television video shoving his airport access pass at Abdul and snatching the man’s identification card when the airport screener asked him to remove his shoes as part of security measures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sept. 29.

Bertiz has apologized for his behavior, attributing his outburst to a “period” he gets once a year. He drew flak from women’s groups for the remark.