Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Monday shrugged off the criticism of Vice President Sara Duterte to airport officials, saying that the photo of her leaving the country was not from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
“Hindi galing sa CCTV ‘yun ng MIAA [that didn’t come from the CCTV of MIAA],” Bautista briefly told reporters in an interview.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) chief made the remark after Duterte last Wednesday said that airport officials should strive to achieve a world-class facility that values the security and privacy of all passengers, especially the younger ones.
“Subalit ang Pilipinas ngayon ay may mga opisyal ng paliparan na tikom-bibig ukol sa banta ng seguridad, at hindi man lang nagsasagawa ng masusing imbestigasyon tuwing may banta tulad ng pagpapasapubliko ng video footage, flight details at iba pang maseselang impormasyon ng mga pasahero, kahit pa ng mga menor de edad,” the Vice President said.
(But the Philippines today has airport officials who are tight-lipped about security threats, and do not even conduct a thorough investigation about these, such as releasing of video footage, flight details, and other sensitive information of passengers, even of minors.)
During the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon three weeks ago, Duterte was photographed at the airport, bound to leave the country for a personal trip with her family overseas.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) earlier said the timing of Duterte’s departure was “unfortunate,” but emphasized that her trip “received the necessary approvals, as evidenced by the travel authority issued by the Office of the President dated 09 July 2024.”
Following the removal of 75 cops assigned to her security detail, Duterte also called on her supporters and allies at the Senate to ensure the safety of her family.
According to her, there was a “malicious” release of a video footage of her family when they were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“Kuha sa isang lugar kung saan pawang mga empleyado lamang ng paliparan at piling mga tao ang maaaring nandoon. Hindi na baleng ako, ngunit nakuha at naisapubliko rin sa naturang video ang aking asawa at mga menor de edad na anak na naging isang malaking banta sa kanilang seguridad,” Duterte said.
(The video was taken in a place where only airport employees and selected people could enter. I won’t mind if it was only me, but my husband and minor children were taken in that video which became a great threat to their security.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
