On Saturday, Mar 15, Mark Rotanel of Cebu Pacific decided to offload a 12-year-old-boy with a congenital condition who was scheduled for a medical procedure in Vietnam. Rotanel had claimed that boy’s passport was “defective.” However, his heartless decision, which turned out to be subjective, has caused an uproar among Pinoys.
READ: Cebu Pacific offloads boy due for surgery in Vietnam
Well, those angry Pinoys may become even angrier.
“A high-ranking official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) (who requested anonymity) assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 claimed on Tuesday, Mar 18, that Rotanel neither coordinated nor referred the case with their office,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
The BI officer emphasized that “Ratonel did not even give a copy of the airline’s report about either offloading the sick boy or about the damaged passport.”
“Had they informed or at least consulted with us about the damaged passport, we could have guided them on the proper protocol in handling passengers with special concerns,” the BI officer said.
According to the immigration officer, they allow passengers with a defective or damaged passport to leave or enter the Philippines in special cases.
The report further stated: “The officer said humanitarian consideration allows passengers with defective or damaged passports to leave or enter the country if they can show proof that they need medical attention, or if they are attending to the wake of a close family member.”
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