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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
April 30, 2025 | 5:42pm
Passengers queue to enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Feb. 24, 2024.
STAR / Ernie Penaredondo
MANILA, Philippines — Airport personnel are no longer allowed to touch the passports of travelers, according to the management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The policy comes after a viral post alleging that airport personnel mismanaged their relative’s passport, causing them to be left behind on their flight.
“To better protect your travel documents and reduce unnecessary contact, all NAIA security personnel have been instructed not to touch passports during terminal entry and security verification. Passengers will simply be asked to show their valid ID or travel document by holding it up themselves,” NAIA said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 29.
However, NAIA said that the recent case of a torn passport happened at an airline check-in counter in NAIA Terminal 3.
“There has been no report of any mishandling involving NAIA security personnel,” the airport management said.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has already urged airlines to ensure that no tampering of passports would happen amid a surge of “punit passport (torn passport)” cases.
“Kung may makita man tayong ganung insidente, kung may gumagawa ng ganitong kalokohan, sorry na lang. Sanctions will be imposed on both the airlines and their personnel,” Transport chief Vince Dizon said.
(If you see an incident like that, if someone is doing this scheme, you will be sorry. Sanctions will be imposed on both the airlines and their personnel.)
The viral post from Facebook user Diana Natividad said that her family was supposed to go to Bali, Indonesia, for a vacation, but her 78-year-old father was barred from boarding the flight due to a slight tear in his passport.
The airline personnel took photos of the passport to send to personnel in Bali to see if it would be accepted. The DOTr eventually confirmed that Indonesian immigration authorities said that the passport was unacceptable.
“The passenger has already filed a formal complaint with the Civil Aeronautics Board regarding the incident. The DOTr reiterates its reminder to passengers to always check their passport’s validity and condition before travelling, and to consult with passport centers or airport authorities when in doubt,” the DOTr said.
