The five airport police who are named in an alleged extortion scheme with taxi drivers have been suspended, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Vince Dizon said in a statement.
Secretary Dizon also ordered the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to conduct an investigaton “in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to government workers to serve the Filipinos and not to abuse their authority.”
“Paulit-ulit na sinasabi ng Pangulo na dapat hindi natin pinapahirapan ang mga kababayan natin,” Secretary Dizon said.
(The President repeatedly says that we should not make our countrymen suffer.)
“Ipapasuspende na natin itong mga ito. Tapos immediate proceedings na ito for termination,” he added.
(We will suspend them. Then it’s immediate proceedings for termination.)
A taxi driver, who went viral for overcharging a passenger, earlier told Secretary Dizon that drivers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) charge high taxi fares because they have to give 40 percent of their earnings to the airport police.
“According dun sa kwento ni Felix [Taxihub] ang nagpapatakbo ng raket dito ay yung airport police. Sila ang nagiimpose ng mahal na rate at dun sa mamahaling rate na yun kumukuha sila ng 40-percent kaya ang naghihirap yung mga pasahero natin,” Secretary Dizon said in a statement.
(According to Felix [Taxihub], the one running the racket here is the airport police. They are the ones who impose expensive rates and from that expensive rate, they take 40-percent, so our passengers are suffering.)
“Pagka hindi ka sumunod at nagcharge ka ng mababa at hindi nagremit nung hinihingi nila, either huhulihin ka o hindi ka papapasukin ng airport,” he added.
(If you don’t comply and charge less and don’t remit what they ask, you will either be arrested or the airport will not let you in.)
Dizon said that these “unscrupulous acts” will severely affect the country’s tourism. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
