MIAA probes use of fake access pass at NAIA

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Wednesday said it launched an investigation into the alleged use of fake exit passes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to facilitate the departure of trafficked individuals.

In a statement, the MIAA said its general manager Cesar Chiong has directed a thorough probe into the alleged use of fake airport passes to aid in human trafficking attempts. 

The probe was launched following the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality’s hearing on Tuesday, where a human trafficking victim revealed that someone at the airport would escort them and expedite their departure using fake exit stamps to bypass the Bureau of Immigration. 

The victim, under a pseudonym “Paolo,” said he thought he had been recruited to work as a customer service representative in Thailand but found out he was going to be sent to work as a scammer in Myanmar.

The MIAA, meanwhile, said that on four separate occasions in October and this month, the airport authority thwarted attempts of four passengers posing as employees of an airport concessionaire to leave the country bypassing immigration formalities at the NAIA Terminal 3.

The four passengers have been endorsed to the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for disposition, it said.

“The MIAA deplores this act against humanity and vows to fully support multi-agency initiatives to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice,” the airport authority said.

“With the continued help of law enforcement agencies, the Bureau of Immigration and the intelligence community, the MIAA shall continue to beef up security measures to further safeguard the lives and uphold the dignity   of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) passing through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” it said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News