THE unfortunate incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last week involving a security screener and a supposedly honorable congressman should not be ignored as it reflects the standard behavior of some members of Congress who flout their power and privilege over hapless and lowly public servants only performing their tasks.
ACTS OFW Representative Aniceto John Bertiz III was shown in a viral video angrily confiscating the identification card of an airport security personnel who had asked him to take off his shoes as part of the security protocol.
Bertiz justified his behavior by saying that some Chinese-looking men escorted by airport personnel had gone through the detector before him without taking off their shoes but his claim was roundly disputed by airport authorities who have seen the video and evaluated the closed-circuit television camera at the MIAA.
The abusive behavior of Bertiz merited various responses from netizens. Migrante-United Filipinos in Hong Kong pushed for the expulsion from Congress of Bertiz for his disorderly behavior and for being a habitual abuser of authority.
Migrante HK chair Dolores Balladores-Pelaez said is succinctly: He is not worthy to represent our sector in Congress. He is only representing himself and his kind, i.e., recruitment agencies. He is a power tripper and he thinks he can get away with it because of his closeness to President Duterte and SAP Bong Go.
Lately, Representative Bertiz has appeared before the media and has apologized albeit awkwardly: For the past three years that I have been a member of Congress, once a year, I have my 'monthly period'. Shame, Mr. Congressman, shame!
Reportedly, the ACTS OFW party list has issued a letter expelling Bertiz from the group, thus the March 23 notice to him stated that the party list was withdrawing its nomination of him as its representative and declaring Bertiz persona non grata.
The Ethiics Committee of Congress may well take up the matter of the abusive behavior of this recalcitrant member. He is a disgrace to the so-called august body.
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Bertiz was reported hospitalized due to hypertension caused by stress and probably shame because of his abusive behavior. Or this may only be a ruse to escape the netizens' ire.
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Anyway, the 2019 elections are drawing near. The electorate must not include this son of a gun Bertiz in the list of winning candidates.