A casual conversation between two Filipino passengers inside a plane in Negros Occidental led to heightened concern and the offloading of all passengers, as reported by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Saturday.
The incident, according to an ABS-CBN News report, occurred when Cebu Pacific crew overheard Reynaldo Aleroso and Ernesto Erise discussing the term “watusi,” commonly known as a type of firecracker banned on flights. Aleroso was heard asking Erise, “Oi, naubos na ba ‘yong watusi mo?” which prompted immediate attention from the crew.
When questioned by airline staff, Aleroso and Erise clarified that in their conversation, “watusi” referred to a condom, as per gay lingo, and apologized for the misunderstanding.
As a safety precaution, the airline deplaned all passengers and cargo to allow a K9 bomb-sniffing inspection and a thorough security check. The aircraft was later cleared for flight to Manila, while Aleroso and Erise were rebooked on an afternoon flight the same day.
