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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider OTS supervisor breaks silence over alleged NAIA theft

OTS supervisor breaks silence over alleged NAIA theft

Published Sep 22, 2023 08:43 am

The supervisor of a personnel of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) who was caught on camera while swallowing allegedly stolen bills from a Chinese passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) finally broke his silence on Friday, Sept. 22, to clear his name from issues linking him to the incident.

OTS Head Supervisor Security Screening Officer (SSO) Abraham De Luna denied that he ordered the accused female OTS personnel to swallow what appeared to be folded paper bills amounting to $300.

“I did not order the lady SSO to swallow the dollar [bills],” De Luna said in an interview with airport reporters.

De Luna’s statement contradicted a report from the airport authority that he appeared in connivance with the female SSO and another OTS personnel – an x-ray operator – in hiding the dollar bills that went missing from the wallet of a departing Chinese passenger identified only as Mr. Cai at NAIA Terminal 1 last Sept. 8.

According to the report, De Luna was seen in a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage while giving a bottle of water to the female OTS personnel.

But De Luna insisted that he had no hand in the incident as he was too busy doing his job: “During that time, we have so many passengers to assist.”

OTS Administrator Ma. O Aplasca confirmed that the office received on Friday the counter-affidavit of the accused female personnel, who earlier claimed that it was chocolate and not dollar bills that she was swallowing when she was caught on CCTV.

The identity of the female personnel was withheld pending the results of an investigation by the OTS administration.

But a source from the OTS who requested anonymity raised suspicion on the female personnel’s alibi, saying that it was “not the normal way to eat chocolate” as she appeared to push the object down to her throat using her fingers.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista already directed Undersecretary for Legal Atty. Reinier Yebra to assist in filing complaints against those determined to have connived in stealing money from the hand carried bag of the passenger.

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