DOTr probes cases of travelers denied boarding over damaged passports

The government is investigating reports that some travelers were refused boarding by airlines because their passports were found to be defective.

The investigation comes after social media user Diana Natividad claimed that her father was not allowed by Cebu Pacific to board the flight bound for Bali, Indonesia, on April 15 after airline personnel discovered a small tear on his passport.

Published advisories from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) state that under the Philippine Passport Act, a passport is considered a damaged travel document if its physical condition is altered due to wear and tear, aging, negligence, or other factors that render it mutilated or defective. 

The advisories detail that a passport is deemed mutilated if its data page becomes unreadable or if any information is missing. 

This includes situations where the passport chip is damaged and cannot be read by the system, a page is torn out, the hardcover becomes detached from the booklet, the binding is lost, or the document is water-damaged, causing the visa stamps and printed information to run. 

In such cases, it is the obligation of the airline to verify the condition of the travel document.

Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the DOTr and the Civil Aeronautics Board are conducting an investigation according to established protocols.

“So, according to the account, is pinadala [ang kopya ng passport]. Sinabi mismo ng Denpasar, ng Bali airport, hindi namin tatanggapin 'yan. Kaya huwag n'yo nang pasakayin. Yun ang sinasabi ng Cebu Pacific. (So, according to the account, the copy of the passport was sent. It was explicitly stated by Denpasar, Bali airport, that they will not accept it, so please don't allow boarding. That's what Cebu Pacific said.) But of course, we have to verify that with Denpasar airport if that is in fact true,'' he said.

Dizon said that the DOTr has summoned Cebu Pacific—as well as all international carriers—to ensure that they strictly verify the condition of a passenger’s passport.

This measure is intended to prevent the exploitation of damaged documents for any illicit activity. He emphasized that the reports circulating on social media do not indicate intentional tampering of passports.

“So they were told very, very clearly that they need to comply with that clear instruction, no way whatsoever to cause any harm to the documents or tamper with the documents of the passengers in the exercise of their function,” he said.

''We're looking at CCTV footage. We're looking at actual personal accounts in the airports to make sure na walang ganong nangyari (that no such incidents occurred). Kasi kung meron tayong makitang gano'n and nahuli natin ang any airline personnel na may ginawa itong kalokohan na ganito, well, you know, sorry na lang, sanctions will be imposed on both the personnel and the airlines. But that [investigation] is still ongoing.”

(Because if we are able to determine that the airline personnel did something wrong, well, you know, I'm sorry. Sanctions will be imposed on both the personnel and the airlines. But that [investigation] is still ongoing.)

Advice for travelers

The DFA and the DOTr urged all travelers to take great care of their passports. They advise that if any damage is noted—be it missing pages, detached covers, or water damage—passport holders should have their documents replaced immediately at the DFA before booking any travel.

''Kailangan responsibilidad natin, bilang passport holder, na alagaan nang mabuti ang ating passport (As passport holders, it is our responsibility to take good care of our passports),'' Dizon said.

“Hindi natin maiiwasan minsan. Ang unang puwedeng gawin, pumunta sa nearest DFA passport center at ipa-check kung puwede ko ba ito [gamitin]. At sasabihin naman ng mga taga-DFA kung yan ay puwede pa o hindi na or magtanong din sa airport (Sometimes, incidents are unavoidable. The first thing you can do is go to the nearest DFA passport center and have your passport checked. DFA personnel will inform you if it is still acceptable, or you may also inquire at the airport).'' — VBL, GMA Integrated News