"Extort victims"at airport told to come out

CEBU, Philippines - Mactan Cebu International Airport general manager Nigel Paul Villarete is asking other complainants on the alleged extortion activities of some unscrupulous airport policemen to come out into the open and formalize their complaints.

Villarete said his office cannot act on the alleged illegal activities without a formal complaint. He welcomed the complaints filed by DYAB manager Leo Lastimosa, Tisha “Inday Tikay” Ylaya, Marc Ian Almendras and Armenio Lopez against three airport policemen who were allegedly caught extorting money from taxi drivers.

Airport policemen Rene Conje, Rodolfo Maurin, and Cliff Alesna were accused of collecting P10 to P20 from taxi drivers and delivery truck drivers.

Ylaya, a program anchor of dyAB, said she personally witnessed how these policemen have been extorting money from the taxi drivers for them to be allowed to load and unload passengers at the airport.

According to Ylaya, taxi drivers who pay to the airport police are allowed to pick up passengers even without queuing. Almendras, a taxi driver, said he was threatened by the airport policemen.

Lopez, duty manager of Lufthansa Airlines, said the airport policemen extorted money from a delivery truck driver of their supplier. He said that the airport policemen refused entry of the delivery truck at first until they were collected P20.

 “Kon dili ka mohatag ngadto nila dugayon man ka nila ug tawag, kon mohatag ka sila mangita og paagi nga makakuha sila og pasahero,” a taxi driver told The FREEMAN.

He however refused to file a complaint for fear of harassment. (FREEMAN)