An Australian tourist lost P7,000 in Philippine currency after passing through a final security checkpoint at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 last Friday, with suspicion falling on a male bag inspector who handled her belongings during the screening process.
The woman, bound for Cebu, discovered the money missing only after she and a companion had already walked to the boarding gate and attempted to purchase bottled water. She traced the loss to the X-ray scanning stage, where a male inspector had physically checked the contents of her shoulder bag.
Airport police and the PNP Aviation Security Group sought access to CCTV footage and reviewed it with the passenger present in an effort to identify the person responsible. Despite the incident, the tourist chose not to file a formal criminal complaint, citing the imminent departure of her flight.
The Office for Transportation Security has since confirmed it is working alongside the New NAIA Infra Corp. and the PNP Aviation Security Group to hold anyone found responsible to account. OTS Administrator Undersecretary Gilberto DC Cruz stated that both criminal and administrative consequences are being considered if the allegations are proven.
“We do not tolerate such acts within our organization. Any violation of trust or misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and those found responsible will face appropriate consequences, both criminal and administrative punishments, if warranted,” Cruz said.
Cruz has publicly tied the agency’s response to its broader commitment to passenger security and institutional integrity standards.
