Joy Adalia
Netizens are alarmed over news that security officers of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country’s flagship carrier, sent 41-year-old Rodelyn Courtney to the mental hospital after she allegedly made a scene at the NAIA Terminal 2.
Mental Breakdown at the Airport?
According to a report on the Inquirer, the passenger was supposed to be on board the flight bound for Bacolod at 3:30 PM last Sunday, May 10. For unknown reasons, she did not board the flight and simply loitered at the third floor departure area for hours. She was later seen wandering at the ground floor near the carousel area at around 7 PM.
At the time, the carousel area was almost empty of people. PAL personnel tried to speak with Courtney but she allegedly ignored them at first before later making a scene that made them believe she was mentally unstable.
A doctor was called in to evaluate her state of mind. Perhaps angered by the presence of the doctor, she allegedly shouted at them to leave her alone but the outburst had the opposite effect.
Security Sends Passenger to Mental Hospital
The Inquirer report narrated that Courtney was forcibly removed from the airport by PAL security personnel under Goldleaf Security Agency.
One of these security people held her legs while two others held her upper body. There were also two airport police officers on the scene and three more airline security officers; they brought her handbag while a PAL employee took a video of the incident which was not released to the public.
She was brought to the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City by a PAL ambulance.
Worrisome Precedence
A lot of netizens are worried that this incident might set precedence and that other passengers who will make a scene in the future might be forcibly brought to the mental hospital as well. Some pointed out how it was “almost impossible” to get a psychiatrist to check the passenger’s state of mind at the time; though it really was not as PAL just might have available on call.
Many also took note of how the passenger was treated, saying it was inhumane for the security officers to bodily haul her out of the airport after she made a scene. However, it is also important to take note that since the video of the incident has not been released, we have no idea what really happened. It is possible that the passenger was too violent and really had a mental breakdown; thus, the airline security and the doctor on the scene deemed it best to send her to the mental hospital.
As of press time, The Dailypedia Team is waiting for an official statement from PAL regarding the issue.
