American goes wild in flight

CEBU, Philippines - An 80-year-old American national was arrested by security personnel at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) for causing disturbance while on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila yesterday morning.

Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) personnel arrested Rex Maybert Hampton, a native of Portland, Oregon, for allegedly trying to break the plane’s glass windows with his cane as he wanted to jump off.

Police Senior Supt. Joselito Salido, the chief of 7th PCAS, said 30 minutes into the flight, Hampton showed unusual behavior after getting into an argument with his wife.

Hampton’s wife, Juvelyn Campilan-Hampton, 42, a native of Toledo City, said her husband may have been suffering from paranoia. She said Hampton keeps saying that someone wanted to kill him.

The couple traveled from Manila to Cebu many times.

“Naa man daw gusto mopatay niya mao nga gusto siya mogawas sa bintana,” Salido said.

The cabin crew and some passengers tried to restrain Hampton, resulting to injury to another passenger, Oscar Surban, and damage to the inner side window pane of the aircraft cabin which was hit by Hampton’s walking cane.

While in flight, the pilots - Capt. Jesus A. Garcia and First Officer Rommel Gideon I. Enriquez - requested assistance from aviation security personnel who apprehended Hampton upon arrival at the Mactan International Airport.

The pilots assured that the safety of the flight was not compromised during the incident. All other passengers safely disembarked after PR843 arrived in Cebu on schedule.

The plane, which has more than a hundred passengers, took off from Manila at 5:30 in the morning yesterday.

Surban was taken to PAL Clinic at the MCIAA in Cebu while Hampton is being detained at the PCAS, awaiting the filing of charges against him.

The flight arrived in Cebu and returned to Manila on schedule without further incident. — /LPM (THE FREEMAN)