TOP-TO-BOTTOM CLEANSING AT PH AIRPORTS SOUGHT AFTER ‘TANIM-BALA’ INCIDENT

SENATE President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Tuesday called for a top-to-bottom cleansing within the country’s airports to improve the Philippines’ image to visitors here and abroad.

Escudero issued the call following the dismissal of security personnel involved in “tanim-bala” modus at the Ninoy Aquini International Airport (NAIA).

The Senate chief lauded newly-installed Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon for his swift action against three Office of Transportation Security (OTS) employees who allegedly victimized a 69-year-old woman and her family before boarding their flight to Vietnam.

No bullet nor bullet casing was found in the elderly women’s belongings.

According to the Senate President, the firing of transportation security personnel should pave the way for more wide-ranging initiatives that will transform the image of the country’s main gateway, with a new and dynamic secretary of transportation now on board and the operation of the airports now privatized under the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

“We have this window of opportunity to implement long-term initiatives that will transform the country’s image and enhance the experience of visitors and domestic travelers the moment they land and when they depart to their destinations. This is long overdue,” the Senate leader said.

It will be recalled that Senate President Escudero was the proponent of a special provision under the 2024 General Appropriations Act that mandated the reimbursement of passengers who missed their flights due to excessive or unnecessary questioning by immigration personnel.

Under the special provision, the reimbursement of the affected passengers would be sourced from the Bureau of Immigration’s unutilized funds