Airport screeners under probe for security breach

Thus, this may not be applicable at the NAIA since more screening personnel are deployed there. (PNA File Photo)

MANILA – Several screeners at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as well as their supervisors, are under investigation due to security breach, an official bared on Monday.

A video has been posted on social media showing a female screener doing body frisking to members of a boy group that staged a three-day concert in the country over the weekend.

The video also seemed like the screening officer himself/herself is also filming the group while at the security checkpoint.

“Filming in the security checkpoints is not allowed per our policy. This may be considered as a security breach,” Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Ma.O Aplasca told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.

He said that based on the video clip, they can already surmise some irregularity and lapses not only of the one doing the screening, but also the supervisors for allowing such to happen.

The situation aggravated as the supervisors did not act on the lapses and did not submit the required incident report, Aplasca said.

As to the female who did the body frisking on male passengers, Aplasca clarified that the OTS allows this only in certain instances, such as inadequate manpower.

“Our procedure prescribes male to male screening and female to female screening. In certain instances, female screeners are allowed to screen male passengers, but this is mostly applicable to airports in the provinces where personnel complement is lacking,” he said.

Thus, this may not be applicable at the NAIA since more screening personnel are deployed there. This makes the female employee a subject of investigation, Aplasca said.

Meanwhile, the OTS, in a statement, reminded the public that unauthorized filming at airport security checkpoints is prohibited.