MANILA, Philippines—A veteran airport police at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is in danger of losing his job after two women said he smuggled them out for a flight to Singapore, in violation of the law against human trafficking.
Cpl. Rolando Nator of the Airport Police Department, however, has not reported for work for a week now since he was tagged in an alleged human trafficking on June 6.
APD manager, retired Brig. Gen. Alger Tan, said the 45-year-old Nator has become the subject of a probe by the Manila International Airport Authority.
“He has not reported for work since I ordered his relief and reassignment to headquarters on June 7,” the officials told reporters on Tuesday.
The alleged smuggling happened on June 6 at 8 p.m. at the NAIA 3.
Initial investigation showed that two unidentified women were allegedly escorted by Nator without passing through immigration.
Instead, they passed through one of the terminal’s access ways only employees and security personnel could access.
“Allegedly, they passed by the International Exit Door 02 Level 3) manned by a security guard,” Tan said, and the two women boarded a Cebu Pacific flight to Singapore.
To gain entry, Nator allegedly told the guard on duty that he would just accompany the women to go shopping at Duty Free Phils, the airport police chief related.
In Singapore, immigration officials found the departure stamps on the two women’s passports to be fake.
Tan said the women were then sent back to the country and placed them in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Tan said Nator and the two women have been placed under investigation to determine if there were other people involved in the human smuggling.
It was unclear whether the two women were seeking jobs in Singapore or not.
“As far as I know, this is the first time that this happened at Terminal 3, and Nator has never been involved in such incidents before,” the official added.
The airport police chief called on Nator to surface and face the investigation lest he be declared absent without leave after 30 days.
“We are also investigating the two guards that Nator allegedly passed in escorting the two Filipinas,” Tan said, adding that the two guards have been suspended.
The airport official said his office has sent official summons to Nator’s residence in Bacoor, Cavite, ordering him to report for work and answer the allegations against him.
Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the veteran airport policeman might face an administrative charge for breaching airport rules and security for sneaking out the two women.
Aside from administrative raps, Nator may also face criminal charges for human trafficking, a non-bailable crime.