P1,200 NAIA taxi transfer exposes scheme by airport police
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has fired five airport police personnel allegedly involved in an extortion scheme at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Taxi driver Felix Opina told the DOTr about a “60/40” racket run by the airport police. Under the alleged scheme, officers forced taxi drivers to surrender 40% of their inflated fares, prompting drivers to overcharge passengers to make up for the cut.
Opina recently went viral for charging a passenger P1,200 for a short transfer between NAIA Terminals 2 and 3.
“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,” DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said in a press briefing.
(According to Felix’s story, the airport police is the one running this scheme. They impose high rates, from these high rates, they get 40 percent, that is why our passengers are struggling.)
Dizon said the airport police officers involved have been suspended, with the process for termination already underway.
Such schemes, Dizon said, damage not only commuters but also the country’s reputation to tourists.
After Opina went viral, he lost his license due to overcharging. Authorities later discovered that his operator, Taxihub, was running with expired permits.
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