Ombudsman warns travelers of Iloilo Airport modus
Excess luggage waved for a fee, graft-prober discovered
A Cebu Pacific traveler carrying more than the alloted 7 kilo-carry-on/hand-carry weight allowance ended up uncovering a feared modus operandi at the Iloilo Airport.
Yet to her good luck (a really bad one though for the Airport staff), a senior investigator of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas was not only a co-traveler but a seatmate at the Pre-Departure Area.
The scenario as reported by the Ombudsman prober to The News Today (TNT) disclosed of an apparent “friendly offer” by a male Airport worker. Excess luggage? Not a problem for Mr. Nice Guy who personally hand-carried the overweight bag from the ground floor up to the second floor passed Airport/Airline security.
The incident happened yesterday in the 9 a.m. flight from Iloilo bound for Cebu.
The traveler identified as Cathy is in her late teens to early 20s. Mr. Nice Guy is said to be heavily-built.
Once at the Pre-Departure Area, Cathy was asked up front for payment. She gave P200 but Mr. Nice Guy said not good enough and said P500 is more like it. The Ombudsman source said it took her a few seconds to realize what was happening yet could not intervene as she was not yet sure of the circumstances. P500 was given by Cathy and she got her overweight luggage.
Strict “carry-ons/hand-carry” Cebu Pacific said? No. At least not for Cathy courtesy of her P500 who according to the Ombudsman investigator, was visibly disturbed of what occurred.
The Airport Police Officer on duty was then called by the Ombudsman prober to have what transpired recorded. For lack of time since the plane was already boarding, the attempt to call Mr. Nice Guy was not possible.
“Please warn the public about the modus operandi at the Iloilo Airport. The complainant is Cathy. We are sitting on the same bench at the Pre-Departure Area wating for our flight to Cebu. I saw and heard what happened to the young lady the reason I verified to her what actually happened. We reported it to SPO1 Jessa Galas before we left the airport. Please ask the public to report similar incident to our office,” the Ombudsman officer requested TNT.
SPO1 Galas identified to the Ombudsman and the traveler the name of Mr. Nice Guy who is allegedly a government employee under the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC). It was not clear if Cebu Pacific has direct knowledge of the practice and incident now feared by the Ombudsman to be a regular occurrence.
“According to SPO1 Galas, the erring OTC Security Screening Officer assigned at the ground floor of Iloilo airport is (name withheld pending verification). He accompanied Cathy to pre-departure area. He even lifted her bag. He then asked money from Cathy for payment of excess baggage she gave him P200 and asked for a receipt. But there is none. He asked for a bigger amount. Cathy gave him P500 and he returned the P200,” came the Ombudsman information.
To note, Cebu Pacific travelers, this writer particularly included, are subjected to very strict Cebu Pacific conditions on “carry-ons/hand carry” in the past.
Carry-ons/hand-carry must only be maximum of 7 kilos and has to fit this standard Cebu Pacific size while checked-in luggage must only be 15 kilos per passenger. Pay-up the excess or your luggage goes “off-load,” no less than Airline woman manager then told this writer.
Efforts to reach Airport Manager Allan Java for clarification proved futile as of press time.