MANILA - A screener of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is under investigation for an alleged extortion attempt on a Filipina and her Jordanian companion, who was hospitalized after their ordeal last January 4.

Speaking to radio DZMM Wednesday, balikbayan Carol Reynon Quebalayan said Sergio Padilla, an Office of Transportation Security personnel, stopped her and the foreigner at the final security check of NAIA Terminal 1 after finding jars of ube jam in their hand-carried bag.

Quebalayan said Padilla told her the jars were not allowed to be hand-carried in the plane.

But instead of instructing the traveler on what she could do, the screener allegedly told her: "Tara po sa tabi, pag-usapan natin iyung ube jam niyo." (Let’s go there at the side and talk about your ube jam.)

When Quebalayan refused to follow Padilla's suggestion, he allegedly shouted that she could throw the jars in the garbage instead.

"Wala na po kaming oras para pag-usapan sa tabi. Ang point ko po, kung bawal, bawal... Sabi niya, pasigaw, 'Kung ayaw niyong pag-usapan sa tabi, itapon niyo na lang sa tabi,'" Quebalayan narrated.

"Mag-a-agree naman po akong itapon sa basurahan pero parang iyung way ng pakikipag-communicate n'ya sa amin, hindi proper."

(We no longer had time to talk about it. My point is that if it's prohibited, then it's just that... But he replied, shouting, 'If you do not want to talk about it, throw in there at the side. I would have agreed to throw it in the garbage but the way he communicated with us was improper.)

Quebalayan then requested to confer with Immigration officials so Padilla allegedly instructed her to return to the check-in area.



The incident caused Quebalayan and her companion to miss their flight to Saudi Arabia.

The balikbayan said she begged airport officials to help her rebook a flight immediately because her companion needed to visit a cancer-stricken sibling.

"Lumuhod ako, umiiyak ako dahil iyung kasama ko, andoon daw po sa hospital ang kapatid niya. May cancer po," she said.

(I was on my knees, crying because my companion's sibling was in the hospital and has cancer.)

The two were able to get new tickets for P75,000 but the Jordanian later ended up in a hospital due to extreme distress.

"Sobrang masaya siya na nakapunta siya ng Pilipinas, first time niya. Na-appreciate niya bawat pagkain... Lahat ng good things binanggit niya except doon sa what happened sa kanya sa airport, sobrang na-disappoint daw siya," Quebalayan said.

"Hindi siya nakakain maghapon, hindi siya nakainom ng tubig, nilagnat, nagsi-seizure siya. Pinaospital ko pa nga po siya. Ayaw niya kumain dahil sobrang nag-worry siya, natakot. Siyempre, nakakahiya na iyung image natin sa Pilipinas."

Quebalayan also alleged that Natalia Salaysay, another airport personnel, attempted to make her sign a waiver stating that they missed their flight because they were late.

"Parang gumagawa lang sila ng reason para malusutan ang OTS," she said. (It seemed they wanted OTS to have an excuse.)

An airport police, however, assisted the balikbayan in filing a complaint.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Ed Monreal said Padilla has been relieved and is now facing investigation.

Monreal also admitted that Padilla's actions were suspicious as he could have simply disposed of the ube jam.

"Ayoko naman pong sabihin guilty kaagad ang tao, pakikinggan po namin kung anong sasabihin niya, pero iyun po ay nakakapagduda," he said.