5 airport cops suspended over taxi driver extortion

Five airport policemen at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were suspended over an alleged extortion scheme involving taxi drivers.

The scheme reportedly forced taxi drivers to surrender a portion of their earnings and resulted in passengers being overcharged, with Felix Opina from Taxihub revealing the '60/40' arrangement where police take 40 percent of drivers' income.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to investigate the practice and initiated termination proceedings against the suspended policemen.

Dizon warned that failing to comply with imposed rates could result in taxi drivers being arrested or barred from entering the airport, emphasizing the negative impact on tourism and aligning with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive for government workers to serve Filipinos without abuse of authority.

The investigation began after Felix Opina revealed the extortion scheme and was subsequently ordered to have his license suspended when he attempted to charge PHP1,260 for a ride from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 of NAIA on Monday.