Clark airport personnel deny Korean’s theft, extortion claims

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Office for Transportation Security based at the Clark International Airport yesterday denied allegations of extortion and theft hurled against them by a Korean tourist.

The tourist posted her allegations on her Facebook account, which has been going viral since Monday.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) acting president Alex Cauguiran ordered an investigation into claims of Woo Seunkyung.

Woo said she and her husband arrived in the country at past 1 a.m. on Feb. 13.

She said a personnel of the BOC told her and her husband to pay $137 in tax charges for the items they bought from a duty free shop at the Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Woo said the items were not taxable. In a letter to Cauguiran, BOC-Clark chief Marites Martin said otherwise, citing a law that requires taxes on goods worth more than P10,000 brought into the country by passengers.

The items in question included several beauty products and a signature bag, which costs about $677.

Based on the prevailing dollar to peso exchange rate at the time, the total amount of the items was more than P10,000, Martin said.

Kimberly Go, CIAC officer for operations, said she tried to negotiate for the payment of taxes after Woo’s brother in-law and his Filipina wife offered to pay in cash.

Go said a BOC personnel she identified as Paul Dungca told the Korean and his Filipina wife to settle the paythe ment the following day.

She said the Korean couple refused to pay, prompting a BOC personnel to wrap the items and lock them in a cabinet.

Martin denied Woo’s allegation that her men mistreated the tourists.

Woo also alleged that she lost a watch and an e-cigarette that she placed in a basket at the departure area.

Video footage of the airport’s closed-circuit television cameras showed the couple dropped the watch and an airport personnel running after them to return the item.