3 OTS PERSONNEL AXED OVER ‘TANIM-BALA’ AT NAIA

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday fired three personnel of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) involved in the alleged tanim-bala incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 last week. 

“We are announcing the termination of all people in the OTS involved in the incident. Proper administrative charges will be filed after the investigation,” Dizon said in a press briefing Monday.

“Being in the government does not give you the license to abuse people. The President will not tolerate this sort of behavior,” he added. 

The three screening personnel suspected that the 69-year-old woman was carrying an amulet or bullet at the NAIA..

A social media post by passenger Ruth Adel, who was then bound for Vietnam for a vacation, went viral on social media over the weekend, narrating her experience with airport screening personnel last March 6 at NAIA Terminal 3.

She said she was on her way to the boarding gate when screening personnel approached her to tell her she had a bullet in her bag.

The personnel had different statements, laughed, and even tried to hide their name tags upon learning they were being filmed.

Newly-installed OTS administrator Arthur Bisnar said he would not tolerate arrogance and abusive behavior among his personnel.

Dizon asked the chiefs of the OTS and the Manila International Airport Authority to review the procedures and protocols for screening.

Both Bisnar and Dizon pointed out the lapses among the terminated personnel who admitted they were not sure whether the bag with bullet they saw on the x-ray image belonged to Adel.

The Transportation Secretary urged the public to report such incidents immediately to the airport hotline.