Arroyo daughter comes to defense of Filipinos in NAIA queue

By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
Last updated 05:48am (Mla time) 11/02/2006

Published on Page A1 of the November 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE USUALLY low-key First Daughter questioned an immigration officer who had allowed a foreigner to jump the line of passengers waiting to be checked in at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday afternoon, according to a source at the NAIA.

But the clueless officer did not recognize Evangeline Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo, and even demanded that she wait, said the source, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak with the media.

The officer, who was later identified as Edgar Padlan, is now on “floating” status, the source said.

Luli, accompanied by her sister-in-law, Kakai Manotok-Arroyo, and the latter’s young daughter, was on her way to Hong Kong to join her parents, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Jose Miguel Arroyo.

This was how the source recounted the turn of events:

The Arroyos were waiting in line at the Bureau of Immigration’s special lane for diplomats and VIPs when Luli saw that the foreigner had cut the line and the immigration officer had started processing his travel documents.

Luli went over to the officer and asked why he had allowed the foreigner to get ahead of everyone else.

Why Filipinos?

To the surprise of onlookers, the officer snapped at Luli: “Hindi ka ba marunong maghintay (Don’t you know how to wait)?!”

The source said Luli was “obviously peeved” and was heard retorting: “Bakit kaming mga Pilipino ang pinapagalitan mo? Bakit hindi yung foreigner (Why are you scolding us Filipinos? Why not the foreigner)?”

This was how the source told the rest of the story:

The immigration officer’s colleagues vainly tried to get his attention to subtly tell him that he was talking to the First Couple’s only daughter.

Eventually, the officer’s supervisor stepped in and explained to Luli that the foreigner was late for his flight and that his papers had to be expedited.

Luli replied that that was all she was waiting for -- a proper explanation to the other passengers waiting in line.

“It actually looked like a scene from a gag show. He was completely clueless who Luli was. Supposedly, he even told Luli that she shouldn’t be in that lane because it was reserved for diplomats and VIPs,” the source said.

And where was Luli’s close-in guards from the Presidential Security Group the entire time?

According to the source, Luli always tells her PSG guards to keep their distance and let her do things on her own at the NAIA, such as falling in line, checking in and carrying her bags.

‘Unacceptable’ incident

The immigration officer has been temporarily relieved of his post at the airport, BI-NAIA head supervisor Ferdinand Sampol told the Inquirer.

He said Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez had ordered an investigation of the incident.

“May nangyaring hindi maganda (Something unpleasant happened). It was unacceptable. Immigration officers should not be rude or arrogant to any passenger, whether they are members of the First Family or regular people,” Sampol said.

He said the BI “wants to know what happened because in fairness to our immigration officer, he’s a seasoned [staff member] and this is the first time such a thing happened to him.”

Sampol also said that among the things to be investigated was whether the foreigner was indeed late for his flight, which was purportedly why the immigration officer processed his travel papers ahead of the others waiting in the special lane, including Luli Arroyo.

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