Cellphone use to be banned inside NAIA

MANILA, Philippines - To completely discourage immigration personnel from using their mobile phones while working, the Bureau of Immigration will install cellphone signal jammers inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Commissioner Marcelino Libanan approved the purchase and installation of 12 cellphone dampers and jammers at the immigration arrival and departure areas. Libanan said the move was also part of their campaign against human trafficking, noting that cellphone use allegedly enables some BI personnel to communicate with persons engaged in human trafficking and the irregular facilitation and escort of passengers. “The strict implementation of cellphone ban will strengthen the bureau’s drive against human trafficking and, most importantly, it effectively prevents corruption,” he said. Libanan added that the installation of the device will likewise discourage passengers from using their phones, which may also disrupt the immigration clearing process. NAIA-BI operations chief Ferdinand Sampol, who proposed for the installation of cellphone blockers, said that the use of mobile phone by an immigration officer at work consumes his time and inconveniences passengers lining up at his counter. The bureau is also looking to mount the same devices at the immigration area of NAIA 3 terminal when international flight services at the new airport become operational. - GMANews.TV