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'Wala namang nadi-dismiss': Ex-OTS chief blasts cultural rot in airport security

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Resigned Office for Transportation Security chief Mao Ranada Aplasca condemned Wednesday the cultural rot inside the country&#x27;s airport security teams, which allowed erring screeners to stay in their jobs before he started an internal cleansing process.Aplasca, who resigned after Speaker Martin Romualdez threatened to block the approval of the budget of the OTS and the Department of Transportation if he does not leave his post, said the problem with airport security is &quot;more than systemic, it is cultural.&quot; &quot;Nandiyan &#x27;yung, katunayan &#x27;yung sinabi ko nga na problema sa laglag-bala. Siguro in the past, hindi na ha-highlight &#x27;yung problemang ganyan dahil wala naman nanghuhuli. Based on our records, for the past several years, wala namang na di-dismiss diyan sa OTS for violation of our disciplinary policies,&quot; he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview. A former head of PNP Aviation Security Group, Aplasca&#x27;s first mission in the Avsegroup was to rid the country&#x27;s airports of the &quot;tanim-bala&quot; scheme wherein airport screeners plant bullets inside passengers&#x27; luggage in order to extort money. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/07/16/duterte-orders-end-to-tanim-bala">Duterte orders end to &#x27;tanim-bala&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/11/02/15/list-passengers-allegedly-victimized-by-tanim-bala">LIST: Passengers allegedly victimized by &#x27;tanim-bala&#x27;</a></li></ul>&quot;&#x27;Yung laglag bala yun ang first marching order sa akin noong dating Pangulong Duterte at doon ko po naramdaman &#x27;yung kanyang 100 percent na support kaya in a short period of less than one month we were able to solve the issue of laglag bala,&quot; he said. Aplasca said that before his resignation, the OTS had initiated 68 cases against erring personnel with at least 11 people dismissed.He said another 4 OTS personnel found guilty in the NAIA &quot;dollar-swallowing&quot; scam could also be dismissed from the office. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/27/23/dotr-probe-finds-4-ots-personnel-guilty-of-stealing">DOTr probe finds 4 OTS personnel &#x27;guilty of stealing&#x27; in cash-swallowing scandal</a></li></ul><div>AGGRESSIVE</div>In the interview, the ex-OTS chief admitted feeling regret about having to leave his post &quot;dahil malapit na kami maging successful laban sa corruption.&quot; &quot;Medyo masama lang ang loob ko kasi di ko maintindihan dahil ginawa ko namin lahat ng aming kailangang gawin sa loob ng Office for Transportation Security para magpatupad ng isang malawakang internal cleansing program at nakikita ko na personally na malapit na malapit na maayos at ma-identify lahat ng involved at ito, isa-isa na silang natatanggal sa serbisyo,&quot; he said. He said his decision to resign was done voluntarily since it could jeopardize the passage of the Department of Transportation&#x27;s budget. &quot;Ayaw nating maantala &#x27;yung approval ng budget ng buong departamento. Sino ba naman si Usec Aplasca para maharangan po ang buong department. It is a personal sacrifice. It is voluntary. Wala namang nagpipilit sa atin,&quot; he said.Aplasca noted that after his retirement in 2019, he was appointed OTS Deputy Administrator before being tapped as sergeant-at-arms by then Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. It was during his time as sergeant-at-arms that he first met Speaker Martin Romualdez.&quot;Wala naman kaming pinagsamahan na hindi maganda. Wala naman kaming pinag-awayan kaya hindi ko pa rin maintindiHan bakit ganun siya ka-aggressive against me personally,&quot; he said. He added: &quot;Good luck po. I hope he will be more active in solving the issues in the airport. Sana hindi lang puro pangako dahil nangako po siyang bigyan kami ng additional equipment, &#x27;yung dagdag na sweldo sa personnel.&quot;

Resigned Office for Transportation Security chief Mao Ranada Aplasca condemned Wednesday the cultural rot inside the country's airport security teams, which allowed erring screeners to stay in their jobs before he started an internal cleansing process.