MANILA-The immigration officer who engaged First Daughter Evangeline Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo in a verbal tussle at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) recently should be “taught a lesson,” Malacanang said.
Immigration Edgardo Padlan apologized to Luli, who forgave him but not without giving him first a lecture on basic courtesy.
Even if he said sorry to Luli, Padlan’s supervisor, Ferdinand Sampol, said the act could not automatically save the officer from "sanctions."
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it was Padlan’s “misfortune” that he happened to be the one who faced Luli at the Naia.
“Bigyan ng leksyon yan. Dapat pantay-pantay,
malas na lang siya (He should be taught a lesson. He should learn to treat
everyone equally.
The incident was his misfortune),"
Ermita said in a radio station dzRH interview.
He said the immigration bureau should
“investigate fully” the incident.
Padlan personally apologized to Luli for
his actuation at the Naia. Luli was en route to Scotland to inaugurate a
Romblon marble statue in a school campus.
In return, Padlan got a lecture from
Arroyo on the values of giving courtesy and following proper procedures at the
airport.
“Please forgive me. I was confused at the
time because there were so many things going on. And I did not immediately
recognize you," Padlan said in a three-way phone-patch interview on
Iglesia ni Cristo-run radio station dzEC.
While Luli said she forgives Padlan, she
said she will push through with the filing of an administrative complaint
against him. “It isn’t important if you recognized me or not. Besides, there
should be no confusion as far as the immigration bureau’s policy on queues is
concerned," she said.
Sampol said all immigration agents at the
airport will have to undergo a refresher course on “basic customer service.”
Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairwoman
Karina David said if Padlan is found liable in an investigation, he faces
suspension for the first offense.
A second offense merits a longer
suspension of up to a year, while a third offense merits dismissal from the
service, she said.
“But it will depend on whether (Luli)
will file a complaint against him in the first place, to get things
rolling," David added.
Immigration officials said Padlan has
been placed on floating status and has been transferred to the immigration
regulation division. Padlan may be denied his retirement benefits.
“Pa-retire na siya, pagka nasampahan ng
administrative, siguradong maaapektuhan yan," Sampol said in a radio
station dzMM interview. (He is due to retire soon. If we find basis to charge him administratively, his
retirement benefits will definitely be affected.)
He also said while Padlan has apologized
to Arroyo, he still faces a second administrative charge for allowing a
foreigner to jump the line of passengers.
Sampol said he has already summoned tapes
of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system in the Naia to see “what really
transpired, from an objective point of view."
Padlan will have the chance to explain
his side as part of “due process", Sampol added.
Arroyo questioned Padlan for allowing a
foreigner to jump the immigration line at the airport. Padlan, however, engaged
her in a verbal confrontation, not knowing he was dealing with a member of the
First Family.
Sampol said the incident has prompted him
to urge people with complaints against immigration agents to call him at his
office at 879-60-86.
But while the inquiry is still ongoing,
airport and immigration officials ganged up on Padlan, castigating him in
separate radio interviews for his “shameful” attitude.
Immigration commissioner Alipio Fernandez
Jr. said he immediately thought of recalling Padlan when he received a copy of
the incident report.
Naia general manager Alfonso Cusi Jr.
called Padlan’s action as “nakakahiya (shameful).”
“Nakakahiya yan. Lahat yan is a
reflection sa ating lahat bilang Pilipino. Napakasama nun (That’s shameful.
That’s a reflection of us as Filipinos. It’s very bad)," he said in a
separate interview. *(JMR/Sunnex)*
