5 NAIA officers charged with extortion

MANILA, Philippines — Criminal charges were filed yesterday against five security officers who allegedly extorted money from a Chinese at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3).

The Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) referred cases of robbery extortion against the suspects before the office of the city prosecutor.

Lt. Col. Alfredo Lim, who heads the Avsegroup’s unit at NAIA-3, said they identified the five Airport Police Department (APD) personnel who reportedly extorted P15,000 from the victim based on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages.

“After the victim filed a complaint with us, we requested CCTV viewing,” Lim said in a phone interview.

When the CCTV footages were shown to the victim, he pointed to the suspects who took the money from him. A representative from the APD then provided the names of the concerned personnel.

The APD is a unit under the supervision of the NAIA and not the Philippine National Police.

The victim said he accompanied a fellow Chinese to the airport last Feb. 4 when the APD officers ordered him to show his passport.

The victim showed a copy of his passport on his cell phone to the APD personnel but the suspects still took him into custody.

It was then the suspects warned the victim he would end up in jail if he does not give them P15,000.

Fearing for his safety, the victim gave in to the suspects’ demands.

It is unclear if the NAIA has suspended the APD officers.