Lawmaker under fire over NAIA security video

MANILA, Philippines — A party-list congressman received flak anew after a video went viral showing him appearing to be harassing a screener at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) during security check on Saturday.

In a video posted on Facebook, ACTS OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III refused to remove his shoes as part of measures implemented at the NAIA Terminal 2 under “Security Condition Level 2.”

Bertiz allegedly bragged that he is a member of Congress as he shoved his identification card at the NAIA screener. He grabbed the screener’s ID and took a photo of it.

He allegedly called Ed Monreal, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, to have the security personnel terminated.

Bertiz defended his actions, saying the whole story was twisted.

In a statement sent to The STAR, Bertiz’s chief of staff, Jun Aguilar, said the lawmaker called out the screener after a group of Chinese-looking passengers escorted by airport personnel did not undergo security check.

Bertiz asked the security checker why those who went before him were not properly searched, Aguilar claimed.

Ed Anas of the Office of Transportation Security said all departing passengers are required to remove their shoes and have these pass through the x-ray machine as part of security procedures.

The Department of Transportation said it would investigate the incident.

Netizens reacted to Bertiz’s actions.

“Pasikat si congressman. No one is above the law. Ang Presidente sumusunod, ikaw yabang mo, palamunin ka rin ng taong bayan,” Rolly Balsugan posted on Facebook.

“Kawawa naman iyong mga taong nagpapatupad ng tama sa NAIA,” Jun Pamintuan’s post read.

Last week, Bertiz drew criticism after he joked about Special Assistant to the President Bong Go during the oath-taking of engineering board passers with the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

In the video, Bertiz was heard telling the inductees that those who do not know Go would not receive their PRC license. Booing was heard in the video.

Another video showed Bertiz engaged in a shouting match with an overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong, where he was accompanied by Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglungsod.