Husband destroys OFW’s travel papers, cell phone at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines — The husband of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was arrested for allegedly tearing up her passport and boarding pass as well as destroying her cell phone at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA-1) yesterday.

Members of the police Aviation Security Group saw Myren Detari Onato, 31, crying as she held her torn passport at the NAIA-1’s departure area as her husband, Jonard Banate, 34, argued with her.

Onato said she arrived at NAIA-1 at around 8 a.m. for her 1 p.m. flight to Doha, Qatar, where she was supposed to return to her job after spending the holidays with her family.

She said her husband called and asked her to go out to the departure area for a farewell embrace.

It was then that he grabbed her cell phone and tore up her passport and boarding pass.

Onato told police that her husband would always hurt her every time he was drunk because he was jealous.

She said her husband was drunk when he called her at the airport.

“My employer is waiting for me and they expect me to arrive” in Doha, the OFW said.

Onato said she would file charges of violation of Republic Act 9262, which penalizes violence against women and their children, and destroying a public document against her husband.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval said Onato’s only remedy is to go straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs to have her torn passport replaced. The DFA would take days to issue a new one, Sandoval said.

“The problem is with Kuwait’s immigration officials. The airline will not accept a torn passport because it will be fined,” the BI spokesperson said.