'Punit passport' warning: Tampering with passenger's passports will lead to sanctions

Manila: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has issued a stern warning to airlines, stressing that any deliberate tampering of passengers' passports by airline personnel will lead to severe sanctions.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon made the statement following reports of "punit passport" (torn passport) incidents at airports, which have caused travellers to be offloaded and unable to continue their trips.

“Kung may makita man tayong ganung insidente, kung may gumagawa ng ganitong kalokohan, sorry na lang. Sanctions will be imposed on both the airlines and their personnel,” Secretary Dizon said in Filipino.

(Translation: "If we discover any such incident, if anyone engages in this kind of nonsense, I'm sorry. Sanctions will be imposed both on the airline and the personnel involved.")

The warning comes after a recent case involving a Cebu Pacific passenger who was denied boarding for a flight to Bali, Indonesia.

According to reports, airline staff assessed that the passenger’s passport had minor damage.

Following standard procedure, the airline personnel photographed the passport and consulted Indonesian immigration authorities in Denpasar, Bali, who confirmed that the document would not have been accepted upon arrival.

Complaint filed

The passenger has since filed a formal complaint with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) regarding the handling of the situation.

In response, the DOTr reminded travellers to thoroughly inspect the validity and physical condition of their passports before traveling.

Passengers who notice any issues are advised to consult with passport authorities or airport immigration officials to avoid being denied boarding.

The issue of damaged passports has become increasingly sensitive as many countries, including Indonesia, strictly enforce policies rejecting passports with tears, broken laminations, or significant markings.

The DOTr assured the public it is closely coordinating with airline operators to ensure passengers' rights are protected and that incidents of mishandling are swiftly addressed.