Two Manila-bound foreigners were offloaded on Monday afternoon from their flight after they figured in a tussle inside the aircraft at the Bancasi Airport in Butuan City.
Neither the Chinese passenger nor the older American, however, pressed charges against the other apparently to avoid missing their respective connecting flights home.
Ironically both ended up on the same flight to Manila, after having to book another flight following their scuffle.
According to an Aviation Security Group report, the incident happened around 5 p.m. on Monday while passengers on Cebu Pacific flight 5J-788 to Manila were boarding.
Insp. Allexy Francis Avenido of the Bancasi Airport police said Chinese national and Hong Kong resident Fan Wah John Kung, 36, was busy arranging his bag in the plane’s overhead compartment while directing members of his family to their seats, when 65-year-old American Robert William Dismus Sr. pushed him out of the way.
Avenido said that when Fan told him, “Don’t push me,” Dismus grabbed both his hands and shoved him into the row of seats.
Dismus said he did that to restrain Fan who tried to get back at him with an elbow.
Cebu Pacific security personnel called police.
Avenido said that at the police station both men acknowledged their unruly behavior and agreed not to file charges.
Both then rebooked on the same Cebu Pacific flight to Manila to catch their connecting flights.