Joy Adalia
Some staff at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are currently in hot water after allegations from a netizen they supposedly extorted money from had gone viral on social media. Airport authorities said investigations are under way and the said staff have been suspended but refused to release their names.
This appears to be good news, in some way, yet it does not erase the fact that these people almost brought a heart attack to a fellow Filipino who had honestly worked her way to obtaining a green card in the US, only for them to damage her pristine record because they needed P500!
Rhed Austria de Guzman was on her wheelchair and had three bags when she arrived at the NAIA for her flight to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California. Two porters quickly assisted her, with one pushing her wheelchair.
She was surprised when an airport staff asked her to reveal what was inside her bags as they found something that resembles an amulet which could cause trouble for her. Knowing she had nothing illegal/restricted inside the luggage, she firmly told the staff so but a male security officer (who had his back to her while conducting the inspection) found two bullets!
Photo credit: Facebook/Rhed Austria de Guzman
They immediately collected her passport and green card so they can conduct further investigations. She was told that the bullets will go to her record and could affect future travels; this might even affect her status as a green card holder, too.
Terrified of the consequences, de Guzman pleaded for help. One of the porters advised her to simply settle the matter with P500 so the bullets will not be placed on her record. Despite knowing she was innocent, de Guzman was forced to shell out the amount so her record will remain clean. She also gave an extra P200 to the porter for helping her out of the sticky situation (though he probably did not deserve it as he is most likely part of the scam).
After another cursory body check where she secretly handed the money to the airport staff, she was released. She did not complain at the airport (and we don’t blame her at all) but posted the story on social media to air her frustrations only after she arrived safely in the US.
Photo credit: Facebook/Rhed Austria de Guzman
As expected, the story went viral, with lots of people commenting against the NAIA staff for extorting from a person on a wheelchair, especially because she is a fellow Filipino.
The Office of the Transport Security has already suspended the personnel involved in the incident but has not released their names, pending investigation.
Sources: Facebook/Rhed Austria de Guzman, RachFeed
