At the Philippine Airlines International Airport, all outgoing passengers are subjected to body search. I was shocked to learn that an airport police officer wanted to do it to me in full view of the general public.
On Saturday evening, the 5th of February 2011, my husband and I went to the Philippine Airlines International airport to check-in for our flight back to Sydney. I had a money belt around my waist containing less than $100.
When a lady security personnel felt the money belt during a body search, she asked me what it was. I told her it was a money belt. She said (in Tagalog) she would take me to someone who can be a witness. She took me to an airport police officer who was sitting behind a counter in an open space and a transparent glass wall behind him. This lady personnel told the police officer that I had a money belt. So the police officer asked me to show him the contents. My pants had a zipper on one side which I had to undo. In full view of the people around the open space and the people outside the transparent glass wall, I reluctantly pulled down the waistline of my pants (to access my money belt). I was indeed embarrassed.
The police officer was obviously not familiar with foreign exchange because he asked me what they were. After being informed that I was carrying Australian currency, he advised me not to wear the money belt to avoid another inconvenience when I go through another security area.
Then I left to join my husband who was so furious that I was asked to undo my pants in full view of people hanging around that area. I was so stressed and as a result a tiny blood vessel in my eye burst.
I went back to the lady personnel to ask for her name. Instead she took me to the airport police office. There she told the police officers that I was asking for her name. They were asking for my travel papers so that they could photocopy them but I refused to give it to them. I told them that my husband and I were so furious that I had to undo my pants in full view of other people. The proper procedure was to send me to a private room. I was deeply humiliated that I was not treated with respect.
Agnes of Woodcroft, NSW