MANILA International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Ed Monreal has given fair warning that he and the Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Secretary Arthur Tugade, are deeply committed to continue protecting the interest of the air-riding public and run after enterprising and heartless individuals who prey on unsuspecting victims especially during these difficult times. Monreal’s pronouncements came following the recent arrest of three suspects issuing fake swab test results at the NAIA Terminal 3 in an entrapment operation based on the complaint of one Danica Martinez from Capiz.

The operation was conducted by the Airport Police Department (APD) led by its hard-working chief, Col. Adrian Tecson and Maj. Jaime Estrella, among others.

Citing a report that from Tecson, GM Monreal said Martinez first met suspect Glen Mar Aco last April 13, after he approached her at the departure area and promised to help her with her documents.

Monreal said Aco asked for P15,000 for his services which purportedly included conducting an RT-PCR or swab test result. Aco promised Martinez that someone would come to do a swab test on her.

However, to her surprise, Aco just handed over to her a negative RT-PCR test result although nobody showed up to do a swab test on her. This was compounded by Aco’s successive failed promises that she would be able to leave.

Martinez thus decided to seek help from the MIAA’S Airport Police Department. Based on the complaint, Tecson led the airport police in launching an entrapment operation which resulted in the successful apprehension of Aco in just a matter of two hours. At the APD headquarters, Martinez positively identified Aco as the one who duped her. As of this writing, nine more complainants have filed their affidavit- complaints with the airport police after positively identifying Aco as the one who took their money, some from as far back as two years ago. Like Martinez, the other victims were also promised non-existent employment abroad. The MIAA confiscated Aco’s cellular phone and had already started contacting people he has been dealing with, based on the exchange of messages.

Still, Tecson and Estrella are urging those who may have also been victimized by Aco to the APD office and lodge a formal complaint.

Virtual inquest proceedings had been completed by the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office where the APD filed multiple cases against Aco such as syndicated estafa, swindling and human trafficking. Inquest was done before Assistant Prosecutor Eric Reginaldo.

Prior to this, Monreal also warned taxi drivers who overcharge their passengers even in the midst of a pandemic, saying there is no room for tolerance for these kinds of activities.

The airport manager though, hastily added that the unscrupulous drivers are far outnumbered by the good ones who should be emulated for their honesty and for not duping their fellow Filipinos. GM Monreal expressed particular disappointment that while the whole world is suffering from the pandemic, there are still some who would want to take undue advantage of passengers. The MIAA Police Intelligence and Investigation Division (PIID) arrested a white driver identified as Ramon Go after passenger Earl Buna, a passenger who arrived from Samar last March 28, 2021. He took Go’s taxi along Andrews Avenue across NAIA Terminal 3 and asked to be brought to Makati City but upon reaching his destination, he realized that the taximeter was not flagged down.

Buna questioned Go why he was being charged P1,350 and for not flagging down the taxi meter. An argument ensued and Buna decided to hand over P1,200 to the driver and hurriedly disembarked from the taxi cab. He then filed a formal complaint and posted the incident on his Facebook account to raise public awareness about his experience.

The MIAA-PIID arrested Go and the two settled amicably. Buna forgave and no longer pursued a case while Go returned his money.

While all is well that ends well, Monreal just the same, expressed disappointment at how the said driver could afford to pull one over another during these difficult times.

He also felt dismay for the other taxi drivers who are trying so hard to be fair and are doing everything to avoid tainting their image and keep a good reputation to gain the trust of air passengers.

Well, as the saying goes, in every basket of tomatoes, there will always be at least one that is rotten.

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Jokjok (from Myrna Palacios of Marikina City)—-LOLA: I was raped. What shall I do?/APO: Here, take this calamansi/LOLA: Will this ease the pain?/APO: Nope! Sipsipin nyo at nang mawala-wala naman ‘yang ngiti sa mukha nyo!!!

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