Racial taunt sparks NAIA fistfight
Published Aug 7, 2026 05:02 pm
Two foreign nationals were detained by the Airport Police Department (APD) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a fistfight erupted between them in the domestic departure waiting area on Aug. 6.
Investigators said the altercation began when Kent Scott Lee, 54, an American passenger bound for Cebu allegedly hurled racist remarks at Noam Shimon Rosenberg, 37, an Israeli passenger also bound for Cebu.
Witnesses reported that Lee mocked Rosenberg’s Jewish faith, prompting Rosenberg to retaliate physically.
According to Rosenberg, he overheard Lee saying: “Jew’s baby killer… Hitler was right, too bad Hitler didn’t finish killing the Jews.”
Enraged, Rosenberg allegedly kicked Lee’s trolley bag and struck him, damaging a marble table near a food stall in the process.
Lee, however, claimed Rosenberg was the aggressor, saying the Israeli interrupted his private conversation and attacked him without provocation.
Airport police officers quickly separated the two men to prevent further disturbance. Both were brought to Pasay General Hospital for medical assessment, with Lee requesting an X‑ray at his own expense.
On Aug. 7, the case was elevated to the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office, where both men faced inquest proceedings for alarms and scandals under Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code.