OTS Chief Resigns After House Speaker Romualdez Issues Warning

Office for Transporation Security (OTS) chief Mao Aplasca has resigned his post one day after House Speaker Martin Romualdez asked him to step down immediately in the fallout from the most recent scandal involving a security screening personnel caught by CCTV camera stealing money from a passenger and trying to swallow the evidence.

Romualdez threatened to block the passage of the 2024 OTS budget if Aplasca did not resign.

"I am advising the OTS chief: submit your courtesy resignation before the House of Representatives tackle the budget of your office,” Romualdez said in a statement on Monday, September 25.

"If you do not submit your resignation, I will be the one to block the approval of the OTS’ budget,” the Speaker added.

Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation on Tuesday, September 26, citing the Speaker's threat to block the budget as the main reason.

“In view of the pronouncement of Congressman Romualdez that he will personally block the approval of the budget of OTS and [the Department of Transportation], I have come to this decision to officially submit my courtesy resignation for the consideration of [the transportation secretary] and the President. I am not in any way ready to sacrifice my organization, but I consider this as a noble undertaking for a greater interest,” the letter read.

The OTS has been criticized for systemic failures and airport anomalies starting with the "laglag bala" scam in 2015. Earlier this year, a security officer was caught extorting money from a tourist. A week later, another screening officer was arrested for trying to steal a Chinese passenger's watch. There have been numerous reports of theft and pilfering of passenger luggage.

Sources: MB, CNN Philippines, Rappler