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FACT CHECK: Baggage handlers filmed hurling luggage are not Korean
A viral TikTok video shows an old clip of baggage handlers at a Melbourne airport. It was posted amid recent controversies involving Thai tourists frequently being denied entry into South Korea......»»
Head hunting
Unusual contraband seized by French authorities last year exposed the illegal trade in endangered wildlife between Africa and the United States. Customs agents at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris found 392 monkey skulls and 326 skulls of other animals in the luggage of smugglers during a seven-month period in 2022, Sputnik News reported. Authorities believe American collectors and hunting clubs bought the contraband. According to SN, the skulls ended up in the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence in southern France for scientific evaluation. In Utah, USA, the Transportation Security Administration said that vigilant security officers at the Salt Lake City International Airport also found a skull in one bag while an X-ray machine was scanning it on 18 September. The human skull raised an alarm that forced the TSA to halt baggage screening for two hours so the item could be safely inspected and removed if necessary. Unidentifiable components resembling an improvised explosive device were inside the skull and regarded as a potential security threat. A police bomb squad with a bomb-sniffing dog was brought in, and the passenger who owned the baggage was called. The passenger said it was a plastic skull with a built-in battery and sensor. Neurosurgeons use the medical training device to teach how to conduct a brain operation called a lobotomy. Fox News reported that the passenger was bringing the skull to a trade show in Cancun, Mexico, but TSA said it was not allowed to be transported on a commercial aircraft. According to Fox News, TSA officials confiscated the device and told the traveler to pick it up when he returned to Utah. The post Head hunting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the female Security Screening Officer and three other members of the Office for Transportation Security who were caught on closed-circuit television were "found guilty of stealing" in the cash-swallowing incident that occurred on 8 September 2023 at Terminal 1's final security checkpoint at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, including the CCTV footage showing the lady scanner putting the money into her mouth and three other accomplices. The female SSO is facing administrative and criminal cases, as well as those who were involved in the 8 September incidents. “Ang sinasabi sa imbestigasyon ay guilty na pera ang sinubo. Although ang sinasabi nga ng babae ay chocolate daw, mayroon siyang affidavit. Pero ang nakita ng mga imbestigador na guilty siya,” Bautista said in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. “Ang result ay, although hindi pa lumalabas officially, parang lumalabas na talagang nakita na mayroon silang pagkakasala. Apat kasi yung nakita natin dito na may talagang ginawa sa CCTV. Siguro pag nagkaroon ng criminal investigation, may lalabas pa kung mayroon pang other people involved,” he added. CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, the Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. As Cai passed through the body scanner, the screener could be seen conducting a manual search of his bag on the inspection table. The screener “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly closed. She then swiftly placed something in her waist area and went back to the inspection table.” Cai had returned to the screening area and complained after discovering that his wallet was open and some of his money was missing. The passenger confronted the screener, who turned her back on him. In footage taken by another CCTV camera, she was “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece,” as she used a handkerchief to cover her mouth. The screener was seen having difficulty swallowing the bills despite drinking water from a bottle given to her by a colleague. The screener’s supervisor approached her, “seemingly communicating with her” as she was “almost choking in her effort to swallow the dollar bills” to “apparently ensure that the bills were properly disposed of (no evidence),” according to the report. Cai has refused to file charges against the screener. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca confirmed on Friday, 22 September, that they received the counter affidavit of the accused and even said that, as of today Friday, she continues to deny the allegations that she swallowed the dollar bills. An OTS source said that it is not the normal way to eat chocolate by pushing something into her throat with her finger and drinking bottled water afterward. Secretary Bautista has directed the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to immediately file the necessary charges against security screening personnel found involved in an 8 September incident of baggage theft at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident at NAIA that the Secretary was recently trying to promote among potential foreign investors who may want to operate and maintain the country's main gateway. He even authorized imposing the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department's determined push to rid NAIA as well as other attached agencies of scalawags. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DOTr Secretary Bautista after Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez asked him to resign or the speaker would personally block the budget of OTS and DOTr due to the repeated stealing scandal. The post NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OTS dismisses another SSO at NAIA
The Office for Transportation Security confirmed on Monday that the agency has dismissed another Security Screening Officer assigned to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, after he was caught on close circuit television taking things from the luggage of a departing passenger while conducting a final security baggage inspection on 13 September. Last Saturday, OTS Administrator Undersecretary Ma.O. Aplasca personally served the dismissal order against SSO Billy Boy Garcia at NAIA Terminal 2 after a thorough investigation. We have so much problem already here. What do you want to show? Effective today, you are dismissed from the service and remove that ID of yours.You don’t deserve to wear that uniform,” Aplasca said. Garcia was then immediately served with the dismissal order and was right there and then stripped of his access pass, office ID and uniform. The OTS investigators will further pursue this case, and they are requesting the said passenger to come forward to shed light on the incident. Meanwhile, during the interview conducted by one of the members of Airport Press Club, the OTS chief said, “As of today, based on my observation, I think its not too late yet. We still have the core of our people who could make this internal cleansing a success.” Aplasca did not categorically state that the incidents of theft at the NAIA will be totally stopped and instead said he expects what he called the new breed of OTS personnel to snitch on their erring colleagues. “I can confidently say that the chances of them being caught are high because we have new personnel. Mga bagong breed na di nila ito-tolerate,” Aplasca also stated in the same interview. The OTS will not stop and will continue to conduct an intensified internal cleansing program to eliminate scalawags in their agency. The post OTS dismisses another SSO at NAIA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pinay from Africa held with P18.3-M cocaine
A passenger flying in from Africa was arrested for allegedly trying to slip in illegal drugs worth P18.3 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group said on Friday. In a statement, PDEG chief, Col. Dionisio Bartolome Jr., identified the suspect as Zenaida Esperanza Losloso, 49, a Filipina of Lucena City who had flown in from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Losloso was arrested by operatives of the PDEG, PDEA, NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, Bureau of Customs-Port of NAIA at Terminal 3 at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday. Seized from her were 3,454 grams of suspected cocaine in a plastic sachet with an estimated value of P18,306,200. The suspect and evidence were brought to the PDEA office for documentation and disposition. She is facing charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002 and RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The BoC-NAIA said the illegal drugs were discovered after the suspect’s baggage went through the initial X-ray inspection. The X-ray screener marked it with an “X” to signal that the bag showed a suspicious image and needed to undergo a physical inspection. A physical examination revealed the suspected cocaine in the lining of the suitcase. The post Pinay from Africa held with P18.3-M cocaine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CebPac EV transition program gets going
Cebu Pacific will start a demonstration run for an electric baggage tractor and charging station this quarter as part of its ongoing electric vehicle transition program. According to CEB, baggage tractors are essential equipment used by airlines to haul carts and dollies during ramp operations. One of the largest fleets of ground support equipment in the airline industry, CEB operates more than 100 luggage tractors. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila will serve as the operating and testing location for the all-electric, zero-emission tractor used for CEB’s ground operations. This year, it is intended to import numerous electric baggage tractors for use at NAIA. CEB chief operations officer Javier Massot said that their objectives for this demo run are multipronged. Since electric vehicles are a relatively new area for CEB, they want to test the technology and its operational viability and safety. They also intend to test the demo unit for various scenarios in their ground operations, so they are deploying it for both airport operations and cargo operations over the demo period. Massot added that the electric baggage tractor and charging station demo units are provided by TLD Asia Limited. It uses lithium-ion batteries, which have a significantly longer life compared to previous-generation lead-acid batteries. The charging station unit is a fast charger that is also provided by TLD. TLD is a subsidiary of Alvest, a group that designs, manufactures, and distributes technical products for the aviation industry. CEB is expecting one more electric baggage tractor demo unit to arrive from another GSE original equipment manufacturer, which is also targeted for deployment in the last week of August this year. The post CebPac EV transition program gets going appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CEB makes headway in its EV program
Cebu Pacific announced on Friday afternoon that the airline will start a demonstration run for an electric baggage tractor and charging station this quarter as part of its ongoing electric vehicle transition program. According to CEB, baggage tractors are essential equipment used by airlines to haul carts and dollies during ramp operations. One of the largest fleets of ground support equipment (GSE) in the airline industry, CEB operates more than 100 luggage tractors. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila will serve as the operating and testing location for the all-electric, zero-emission tractor used for CEB's ground operations. This year, it is intended to import numerous electric baggage tractors for use at NAIA. CEB Chief Operations Officer Javier Massot said that their objectives for this demo run are multi-pronged. Since electric vehicles are a relatively new area for CEB, they want to test the technology and its operational viability and safety. They also intend to test the demo unit for various scenarios in their ground operations, so they are deploying it for both airport operations and cargo operations over the demo period. Massot added that the electric baggage tractor and charging station demo units are provided by TLD Asia Limited (TLD) — a subsidiary of Alvest, a group that designs, manufactures, and distributes technical products for the aviation industry. It uses lithium-ion batteries which have a significantly longer life compared to previous-generation lead-acid batteries. The charging station unit is a fast charger that is also provided by TLD. CEB is expecting one more electric baggage tractor demo unit to arrive from another GSE original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which is also targeted for deployment in the last week of August this year. The learning and experience from the demo runs will be essential components of CEB's long-term plan to replace its ground transport network with electric, zero-emission alternatives. The airline is dedicated to managing and minimizing the environmental effect of its activities, and the EV project is an important component of that commitment. CEB Chief Strategy Officer Alex Reyes said that CEB’s Scope 1 emissions come from their flights and ground operations. Although emissions from their GSEs, as part of their ground operations, are only a small portion of their total Scope 1, their decarbonization strategy addresses the entire emissions from their value chain. This is necessary as they align with net-zero emission reduction goals by 2050. Reyes said that earlier this year, CEB rolled out its EV service for employees with the deployment of 100 percent electric COMET vehicles from GET Philippines Inc. For its flying operations, CEB continues to receive new Airbus deliveries of fuel-efficient aircraft, with 10 brand-new aircraft expected for 2023 and five additional aircraft via long-term leasing. The post CEB makes headway in its EV program appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Study’s ‘queue’ issue unclear, BI, OTS say
The Bureau of Immigration and the Office for Transportation Security yesterday said a recent study by a foreign vacation rental company tagging the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as No. 8 in the worst airport list for queueing time in Asia, is unclear. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the article did not specify which queue at the airport was the source of the problem. Passengers, she said, frequently encounter lines upon entering the airport such as at the check-in desks, at immigration, at the security checks, and when making a baggage claim. Sandoval added that the online article does not mention immigration, but BI operations at the NAIA have already significantly improved, given that their area has already been expanded by the Manila International Airport Authority. The BI has committed to further expanding our area to accommodate more passengers. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, she said, assured the public that immigration lines would be manageable, particularly in the coming “Ber” months. Tansingco, during the meetings with the MIAA, had recommended at least 2,000 square meters for the entire immigration area to accommodate 70 million projected arrivals and departures. Meanwhile, Office for Transportation Security spokesperson Kim Marquez said the maximum processing time per passenger at the departure area is one minute and a half or faster unless the passenger does not carry any prohibited items. Marquez added that their security screening procedures are aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, and they can say that they are the same procedures implemented by other member states around the world. The post Study’s ‘queue’ issue unclear, BI, OTS say appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OTS screener collared over airport theft
Another security screening officer of the Office of Transportation Security was arrested for theft by the airport authority Monday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. OTS Spokesperson Kim Marquez said that a joint operation conducted by the Manila International Airport Authority Airport Police Department, OTS and the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group led to the arrest of Rudolf Aquinde for the unlawful taking of a mobile phone at the charging station owned by a wheelchair attendant working at the airport. Aquinde was assigned to NAIA T1 at the time of the incident. Marquez added that upon review the CCTV footage, Aquinde was seen standing near the charging station at the arrival area, taking a mobile phone, which he secretly placed inside his safety vest. The APD immediately went down to the baggage makeup area and identified Aquinde, who was then wearing the same vest and eyeglasses. The latter was invited for inquiry, and during this time, Aquinde took out from his pocket the said missing mobile phone, and he was subsequently arrested. OTS Administrator Undersecretary Ma.O. Aplasca was displeased with another blow that undermined the management’s effort to cleanse its rank. “What are you thinking, and why are you still doing that? We have returned a lot of things. Don’t you feel sorry for that?” Undersecretary Aplasca said. “I have nothing more to say. We have done all the reminders,” he added. Aquinde is currently being held by the APD pending additional investigations and eventual inquest procedures at the Pasay Prosecutions Office. The post OTS screener collared over airport theft appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Salvadorian nabbed for cocaine
The Bureau of Customs Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport reported the arrest of a foreign national after he was found carrying illegal drugs when he arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 from Brazil. The BoC-NAIA identified the suspect as Franco Quintanilla Domingo, a Salvadorian national, who was nabbed upon his arrival at NAIA Terminal 3 on 22 May via Qatar Airways flight QR932. The duty Customs examiners discovered the said illegal drugs in the foreigner’s backpack after his baggage went to the X-ray machine, and the authorities found a total of 3,120 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of P16,536,000. The arrested Salvadorian national and seized illegal drugs were immediately turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for proper disposal and further investigation. The post Salvadorian nabbed for cocaine appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Melai muntik maiwan ng flight, namutla sa kaba: ‘Patuloy lang ang biyahe in the name of raket…’
IPINAGPASA-DIYOS ng TV host at komedyana na si Melai Cantiveros na sana’y may mag-back out na pasahero sa eroplanong sasakyan nito kahapon, Linggo ng umaga. Na-late kasi ng dating si Melai at ang kasama niya sa airport kaya wala na siyang inabutang slots at sa sobrang lungkot ay napaupo na lamang siya sa baggage check-in […] The post Melai muntik maiwan ng flight, namutla sa kaba: ‘Patuloy lang ang biyahe in the name of raket…’ appeared first on Bandera......»»
Contactless Clark terminal launched
Impressed by such state-of-the-art features as contactless baggage handling and passenger check-ins and check-outs, President Duterte lauded last weekend the completion of the P12.5-billion passenger terminal of the Clark International Airport......»»
P700 M for NAIA bag conveyor; budget for virus test kits: zero
A baggage conveyor belt at Ninoy Aquino International Airport is to be replaced for P700 million......»»
Ashley Tisdale buntis sa 2nd baby: ‘We can’t wait to meet you!’
MAY exciting news ang Hollywood actress at “High School Musical” star na si Ashley Tisdale sa madlang pipol! Ayon sa kanya, ipinagbubuntis niya ang second baby nila ng mister na si Christopher French. Sa Instagram, ibinandera ni Ashley ang kanyang baby bump at ang caption niya: “We can’t wait to meet you [emoji].” Baka Bet.....»»
Kaspersky Shares Cybersecurity Tips for a Peaceful Getaway during the holy week
As the holiday season approaches, the urge to unwind and kick back is natural. And it’s all too common for people to let their guard down completely when connecting to the Internet too– but shouldn’t. Recently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group shared its findings on identity theft cases in the country. Between November […].....»»
The future of food
I met Ella, Singapore's first robotic barista, at Changi International Airport. Ella serves various drinks non-stop, from a classic latte to a Pandan Tea latte......»»
Power fluctuations hit NAIA
Passengers sweltered as power fluctuations hit the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at around 10 a.m. yesterday......»»
NBI nabs 8 bogus DBM officials
Eight people allegedly posing as officials of the Department of Budget and Management were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation in Mandaluyong on Tuesday......»»
Six presumed dead after ship destroys major US bridge
Authorities on Tuesday suspended their search for six people missing after a packed cargo ship slammed into a Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse and blocking one of the busiest US commercial harbors......»»
Pause
Like the biblical exodus, the Holy Week period has always ushered in so much travel of people going out of town, or trips abroad for the rich ones......»»