Authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have added more fish-eye CCTV cameras around its screening area, following the “extortion” incident where screening officers were caught allegedly taking money from a departing Thai tourist in videos that made the rounds online.
In an interview with 24 Oras, Bryan Co, senior assistant general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, said that they were still studying the airport’s blind spots so they can add more cameras there.
A video taken by the victim’s companion shows the tourist asking staff to return the money taken from him, which amounted to JPY20,000 (PHP8,000; US$146.92), after officers were initially seen stuffing their pockets at the checkpoint.
The victim, Kitja Thabthim, reportedly said that a female security officer started asking him too many questions during the final checkpoint, and believes it was a diversionary tactic as another accomplice took the money from his wallet.
After the videos circulated, OTS officials said four of the screening officers were job order personnel hired last year. The other was a contractual employee who had been working there for five years.
The officials said that criminal and administrative cases would be filed against them.
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