Tempers flare as bomb scare hits NAIA

Tension as well as tempers ran high for almost an hour at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal I when an unattended envelope bag left behind by a passenger on a baggage pushcart caused a bomb scare among passengers and airport security personnel yesterday.

Traffic jams also developed on roads leading to the NAIA Terminal I when airport policemen and security guards cordoned off a portion of the departure area curbside and driveway, where the cream-colored envelope bag was found, to wait for the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group to bring in their bomb-sniffing dogs.

Departing passengers with afternoon flights had to get off their vehicles and lug their heavy luggage up the ramp leading to the departure area after traffic ground to a halt inside the airport complex as bomb experts assessed the situation.

With traffic at a standstill, passengers expressed frustration bordering on anger over their forced walk towards the terminal under the heat of the burning sun just to make it to their flights.

A Korean tourist, identified as Larry Kye, later turned up at the nearby NAIA Terminal II (Centennial Terminal) and approached one of the airport policemen to ask for assistance in finding his lost envelope bag.

Alerted of the "bomb scare" at Terminal I caused by an unattended envelope bag, NAIA Terminal II policemen immediately radioed their counterparts at the other terminal to report the possible owner of the unattended bag that caused all the trouble.

It was later learned that the foreigner made a mad rush for the nearby NAIA Terminal II to make his Philippine Airlines flight going back to Incheon, South Korea from NAIA Terminal I where he was first mistakenly driven to by a taxi driver.

In a panic upon learning that he went to the wrong terminal, Kye left behind his envelope bag in the pushcart as he hailed a taxi to go to the NAIA Terminal II.

The envelope bag was then brought to NAIA Terminal II where after an inventory of its contents in front of Kye, it was turned over to him by NAIA policemen.

Meanwhile, two Filipino seamen fired from their jobs overseas for quarreling gave passengers and airport personnel at Terminal I a free ringside view of their boxing match when they engaged in a fistfight at the terminal’s arrival area the other day.

Francisco Obas, Jr., 39, native of Naga City; and his fellow Filipino seaman Bernardo Resame, Jr., 44, and resident of Muntinlupa City, almost landed in jail right upon arrival via their Cathay Pacific Air flight from Hong Kong last Wednesday morning when they exchanged blows and hurled insults at each other at the said terminal’s arrival area near the Customs lanes to the surprise of many of their fellow passengers and amusement of some airport personnel.

After airport security guards and policemen broke up their fight, the two were brought under questioning where it was learned that the two were fellow seamen of the T.S. Osaka shipping company.

It was learned that the two had come home after they were recently fired from their berths on a ship of the said company for quarreling.

Unknown to them, they took the same flight home, and upon seeing each other at the NAIA resumed their quarrel, apparently choosing to settle their argument with their fists.

Airport policemen decided not to pursue the filing of charges against the two seamen, choosing only to send them away to go home.