BI suspends agent over NAIA scuffle with unruly Chinese

MANILA, Philippines — A Bureau of Immigration employee who manhandled an unruly Chinese tourist at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was temporarily suspended from his post, the bureau said Wednesday.

Rashid Rangiris, an on-duty confidential Immigration agent, may soon face administrative charges for "not following standard operating procedure and code of conduct" for slapping and pushing Chinese tourist Jiang Huixiang.

"Pending the results of an ongoing investigation, a Bureau of Immigration employee was relieved from his post and advised not to report to work for the meantime after being involved in an incident with an excluded Chinese national," the bureau said in a statement.

The incident at the NAIA Terminal 3 last Monday was caught on a cellphone camera retaliating to the Chinese's assault.

Huixiang, a 38-year-old teacher who claimed to be on tourist visa since 2012, resisted airport authorities who set her aside for secondary inspection under suspicion of working without permit.

In the video, Huixiang is seen shouting, hitting and kicking Rangiris who was driving her to the Immigration exclusion room.

According to an account duty immigration supervisor Nelson Valdez, Huixiang hurled invectives at an Immigration official. Rangiris then approached her and asked her to calm down, but the tourist screamed and hurled invectives at the agent.

"Then, she laid down flatly on the floor, and stopped breathing. Witnesses say, Ms. Huixiang appeared as if she was trying to kill herself," the Immigration account said.

"Before reaching the door of the BI exclusion room, the Chinese national again went wild and started to kick Rangiris causing some contusion to his body, prompting him to retaliate," it added.

Delisia Yap, a lady security guard who witnessed the commotion, also said in the BI report that Huixiang bit the hand of another guard.

Immigration spokesperson Maan Pedro said that Huixiang arrived in the country via a Cebu Pacific flight 5J672 from Beijing.

Huixiang claimed to be working as a Mandarin language teacher with admission and multiple extensions on her passport.

"When Huixiang was escorted to board another flight the next day, she again caused disturbance, prompting airline authorities to deny her boarding. She was then boarded the following day back to Beijing," the BI statement said.

Pedro said that the bureau has been coordinating with Chinese Consul General Qiu Jian and will conduct a "thorough" investigation on the incident.

Huixiang may face assault charges for her conduct toward Philippine immigration authorities, Pedro said.