Three airport security personnel involved in the controversial screening of a 69-year-old passenger at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been dismissed for “abusive” behavior, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced Monday.
“We are terminating all personnel from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) involved in this incident. Proper administrative charges will follow,” Dizon said, emphasizing that government positions do not grant the right to mistreat passengers. “The President will not tolerate this sort of behavior.”
The controversy arose after Ruth Adel, the passenger in question, detailed her March 6 ordeal at NAIA Terminal 3 in a viral social media post. According to Adel, security personnel stopped her, claiming they had detected a bullet in her bag. She noted inconsistencies in their statements, their laughter at her distress, and their attempts to conceal their name tags when they realized they were being filmed.
Newly appointed OTS Administrator Arthur Bisnar vowed to crack down on misconduct. “We don’t need to harass passengers to secure the airport,” he stated. Both Bisnar and Dizon highlighted procedural lapses, as the dismissed personnel admitted uncertainty about whether the x-ray image of a bullet actually belonged to Adel’s bag.
Dizon urged the public to report similar incidents immediately to the airport hotline, noting that the issue only came to his attention due to Adel’s viral post. “The incident happened on March 6, but I wouldn’t have known if it hadn’t been reported. Don’t hesitate to speak up,” he said.
In response, the Department of Transportation has ordered a review of airport security protocols to prevent future abuses.