Another theft involving a security screening officer (SSO) happened at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The incident is currently under investigation, and airport authorities are looking into all those involved.
Based on the CCTV footage at NAIA Terminal 1, a female security screening officer (SSO) apparently swallowed three US 100-dollar bills taken from a departing Chinese passenger in an attempt to remove evidence.
The incident occurred when the passenger complained about losing his money after his bag passed through the security check area.
The female employee of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) involved in the incident, along with her supervisor and an X-ray operator, have been identified by the airport authorities.
The incident began at 8:18 p.m. on Sept. 8, when the complainant, was at the departure final screening checkpoint wearing a white polo and blue jeans.
The SSO conducted a manual search of the bag, but the complainant discovered his wallet open and several bills missing.
A subsequent ocular inspection was made to recover the missing money and to ensure that available CCTV cameras were thoroughly viewed. The SSO was referred for further inquiry, and her seasonal access pass at the airport was confiscated due to her suspicious body movement.
She was released on Sept. 9, and a follow-up review of another CCTV footage revealed a confrontation between the complainant and the SSO, her supervisor, a passenger service agent, a police officer, and one from the Airport Police Department.
The OTS was recently the subject of criticism following the series of thefts involving screening officers assigned at the country’s premier airport.
Among the controversies was the case of screening officers Irene Medalla and Babeth Tagapan who were seen in a video taking money from a Thai national last Feb. 22, 2023 at NAIA Terminal 2.
OTS personnel Valeriano Diaz Ricaplaza Jr. was also arrested by the PNP Aviation Security Group on March 1, 2023 for taking a watch owned by a Chinese national. He was also dismissed from the service motu proprio.
Another OTS screening officer was arrested for taking a mobile phone owned by a wheelchair attendant working at the airport.
From 2022 up to March 10, 2023, a total of 61 OTS personnel were sanctioned. Of the number, 18 were dismissed, 26 were reprimanded, three were suspended, and 14 were submitted to the Legal Office for review.