Officials at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) have relieved a security screening officer after he admitted taking money from the wallet of a Hong Kong tourist on June 10.
In a statement, the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) said that Nissan Villarino — assigned at the transportation department’s Office of Transportation Security — had also been barred from Naia.
Administrative charges were being prepared against him while the Airport Police Department was waiting for the unidentified HK tourist to file a formal complaint in the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong to form the basis of a criminal case.
Earlier, Jackie Freeman Yuen, one of the victim’s friends who were with him at Naia, recounted what happened in a Facebook post.
Yuen said that around 4:30 p.m. on June 10, they were passing through the final security check at Naia Terminal 2 for their HK flight when Villarino told the victim he wanted to check his backpack.
In plain sight
Villarino, according to Yuen, took HK$2,000 from his wallet.
When the victim protested, his friends accosted Villarino who returned the money.
The HK tourists did not file a complaint because they were in a hurry to catch their flight.
The APD surveillance and screening department, led by Insp. Jesus Ducusin, contacted Yuen and were able to identify Villarino as the airport screener in question.
During an investigation, Villarino admitted that he took the cash from the HK tourist.