Rogue airport officials cause Filipina to lose her job

Manila: A 56-year-old Filipina lost her job in Hong Kong last Saturday after she had been unable to report for work on time as she was detained in Manila for two weeks.

Gloria Ortinez had been detained in Manila since late October for allegedly trying to smuggle a solitary bullet in her luggage. She was released last week after the justice department trashed the illegal possession of ammunition charges filed against her by airport security. On Saturday, she tried to return to her job as a nanny in Hong Kong, but her Hong Kong Chinese employer had reportedly refused to accept her.

“This just shows how much damage these tanim bala (bullet-planting) modus is causing to overseas Filipino workers,” lawyer Spocky Farolan said.

The “bullet-planting” scheme is allegedly being carried out by rogue members of the Office of Transportation Security and Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group to extort money from airline passengers.

Passengers who were put on hold are made to pay up tens of thousands of pesos to get themselves released.

Susan “Toots” Ople of the Blas Ople Policy Centre said in case that Ortinez’s employer would remain firm on not taking her back, they would try to find a new job for her in Hong Kong.

“The fresh objective now is to help Manang Glo (Ortinez) find a new employer (in Hong Kong within the next 14 days or to have a dialogue with her former employer and make a compelling persuasion to take her back. As of noon time today, they were at the Philippine Consulate to meet with Congen Bernardita L. Catalla,” Ople said on Sunday.

Earlier, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has admitted the existence of extortion racket involving unscrupulous airport employees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

“There were two cases where there were allegations of extortion,” Abaya clarified, while noting that aside from the cases, there were also instances where airport employees committed violations of procedures.

“Cases have been filed against the Office for Transportation Security personnel,” he said.

In some of the cases, the “bullets” in question were inert bullets used by some Filipinos as good luck charms. Others involve live bullets planted by rogue airport personnel in the luggage of unwitting passengers with a motive to extort money from them.