BOC to probe NAIA rob-extort incident

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is set to investigate a robbery-extortion incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) involving a Taiwanese passenger who lost more than P100,000.

In an interview, NAIA District Collector Celso Templo said Commissioner Antonio Bernardo would order a full investigation after one of the two accused Customs officials turned witness against the other.

Templo said the statement of one official, identified as Angelito Roel Aruta, acting Customs examiner assigned to the departure operations division, could stand as strong evidence against Simeona Hernandez, the division chief.

The statement, Templo pointed out, corroborates the statement of the Taiwanese passenger.

A copy of the statement, dated July 17, 2003, reads:

"It was in the morning of July 17, 2003, Thursday, at around 10:45 a.m. when the undersigned (Aruta), who was then the Customs examiner on duty at the final check, Gates 1, 2 and 3, Terminal 1, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, happened to intercept a Taiwanese national carrying with her a huge amount of Philippine money of P500 denominations in bundles and placed inside her shoulder bag.

The undersigned identified the departing Taiwanese passenger as Li-Ling Lin, with passport number M17675915 issued on May 11, 2000 in Taiwan and about to board China Airlines Flight 632 bound for Taiwan.

Immediately, the passenger was informed of her violation that departing passengers are only allowed to carry with them P10,000, pursuant to a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) circular."

Aruta further said he accompanied the passenger to his chief, identified as Hernandez, for proper disposition of the subject money amounting to P137,000 as alleged by Lin.

Later, the undersigned allegedly saw Hernandez giving P10,000 to the passenger and instructed the undersigned to accompany Lin back to the final area and be allowed to depart, with the remaining undetermined amount left with Hernandez.

Templo said since the money is still nowhere to be found, the BOC cannot charge Lin of any violation.

Likewise, no receipt was issued to Lin, nor any incident report or document that the "confiscation" was conducted at the Customs office.

Lin, together with her associate Milagros Salomon, owner of Jenta International Recruita Services, filed a complaint against the two Customs officials before the Airport Police Department (APD) last July 24, a week after returning from Taiwan.

Lin also filed a criminal complaint of robbery extortion against the two Customs officials before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office the other day.

Hernandez had earlier denied all allegations and said she returned all the money to Lin when the Taiwanese left her office last July 17.