Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
OFFICE FOR TRANSPORTATION SECURITY

MEMORANDUM

FOR : OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, OTS

FROM : DIRECTOR IV, TSRMS
SUBJECT : Fact-Finding Investigation Report re: Petition to Designate
New Surigao Airport Station Terminal Chief and Alleged
Violation of SOP/WI.2023.01 and Memorandum re: Reminder on
Wearing the Prescribed OTS Uniform by Surigao Airport Station
Terminal Chief Mary Shiel E. Toledo (Permanent)

DATE :

I. REFERENCES:
a. Petition Letter of Surigao Airport Station SSOs, dated 20 January 2023;
(Annex “A”);
b. Information Report dated 17 March 2023; (Annex “B”)
c. Travel Order No. 2023-222 dated 08 August 2023; (Annex C)
d. Standard Operating Procedures/Work Instructions on Screening Team
Composition (SOP/WI.2023.01); (Annex “D”)
e. Special Order No. 2023.007 re: Designation dated 13 January 2023; (Annex
“E”)
f. Memorandum re: Reminder on Wearing the Prescribed OTS Uniform dated
07 April 2022; (Annex “F”)
g. CSC Memorandum Circular No. 14, s. 2018 re: 2017 Omnibus Rules on
Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions, Revised July 2018
(Annex “G”)

II. FACTS:
1. Per Annex A, SSOs Jeanine E. Piodo, Kristine Denise A. Culango, Lovely C.
Jardenil, Belly Mary C. Geli, Yvonne R. Recla, Jose Ernesto G. Clerino, Jeniffer
E. Destajo, Mary Jean A. Comandante, and Richard C. Gerdan, all assigned at
Surigao Airport Station, are requesting for reconsideration of Special Order No.
2023-007 designating Mary Shiel E. Toledo (TC Toledo) as Terminal Chief. They
claimed that SSO Rolita J. Makinano (SSO Makinano) is the most qualified to be
the Terminal Chief.

2. The SSOs alleged that SSO Makinano is an Intelligence Officer I, currently a

Checkpoint Supervisor assigned at Surigao Airport Station, and had been in
service for almost twenty-two years. She had Civil Service 2nd Level Eligibility
prior to her employment at OTS - Surigao Airport Station.

Corner Andrews Avenue & Aurora Boulevard (Formerly Tramo) Pasay City 1300, Philippines
Office of the Administrator: 855-2735 Fax: 855-2418 ODA/LEGAL: 854-5083 AFS: 853-4351 TSRMS: 853-7964 TSATMS: 853-4351
CASD: 855-2435 MTSD: 833-3350 LTSD: 855-2725 PAD: 853-5249 pio@ots.gov.ph
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3. Upon interview with SSO Makinano, she expressed her refusal to accept the
designation as the Terminal Chief of Surigao Airport Station.

4. Per Annex B, the same SSOs signed in the Petition alleged that TC Toledo
claimed that she occasionally checks the security checkpoints. She only gives
instructions through their Messenger group chat. They added that TC Toledo was
not wearing the OTS-prescribed uniform. They also alleged that TC Toledo was
designated as a supervisor and not as terminal chief; hence, she should be
present at security checkpoints at all times to supervise the SSOs. TC Toledo,
being allegedly designated as a supervisor, was said to have been changed from
“supervisor” to “terminal chief.”

5. In addition to the allegation that TC Toledo was assigned as a supervisor, SSOs

alleged that supervisors are included in the testing of all the Security Screening
Equipment (SSE) to maintain the effectiveness of the SSE. As seen on the
attached pictures of their logbook dated 03 - 08 March 2023, and 13 March 2023,
TC Toledo was not among those SSOs who conducted the testing of SSE.

6. SSOs also alleged that TC Toledo’s Supervisory License was already expired.

7. SSO Kristine Denise E. Culango (SSO Culango) was assigned as Admin Clerk.
The SSOs alleged that the tasks and other compliances of SSO Culango as an
Admin Clerk were not sent on time because she renders duty in security
checkpoints first and performs admin tasks after all the passenger aircrafts had
left Surigao Airport Station.

8. Paragraph 3.0 (3.4) of Standard Operating Procedures/Work Instructions on

Screening Team Composition (SOP/WI.2023.01) defines Terminal Chief as the
one who supervises all security screening checkpoints and personnel stationed at
a specific airport terminal.

9. Special Order No. 2023.007 re: Designation dated 13 January 2023 shows that
IO1 Mary Shiel Toledo (TC Toledo) was designated as the Terminal Chief of
Surigao Airport Station.

10. Memorandum re: Reminder on Wearing the Prescribed OTS Uniform, dated 07
April 2022, provides for the guidelines on wearing the prescribed uniform for OTS
personnel assigned at airport stations, to wit:

a. Timeworn SSOs/Supervisors uniform should be changed into new

sets.
b. Nameplates to be worn by SSOs shall be with imprint “Screening
Officer” below their names:

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 ex: DELA CRUZ, JUAN P.
SCREENING OFFICER
c. Shoulder board must be worn according to Status:

No line - Job Order

1 line - Contractual
2 lines - Permanent
3 lines - Supervisor

d. Pants should be standard; tight fitting pants and above the ankle
measurement is strictly prohibited, as well as tight fitting polo/blouse.
e. For uniformity, the use of OTS black jacket is highly encouraged
while performing duty at the airport. In the absence of OTS black jacket,
black jacket without OTS logo or blazer may be used. The use of
multicolored jacket is discouraged.
f. For footwear - black leather shoes with rubber shoes/heels and
plain black socks/foot cover/stocking shall be used, as provided in the
Memorandum issued dated 4 August 2008 re Prescribed Security
Screening Officer (SSO) Uniform.
g. SSOs/Supervisors assigned at different airport stations shall wear
a standard ID holder/ID lace bearing OTS logo.

11. Section 13 (c), first paragraph of CSC Memorandum Circular no. 14, s. 2018 re:
2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions,
Revised July 2018 speaks about Designation, to wit:

“c. Designation — movement that involves an imposition of

additional and/or higher duties to be performed by a public
official/employee which is temporary and can be terminated anytime at
the pleasure of the appointing officer/authority. Designation may involve
the performance of the duties of another position on a concurrent
capacity or on full-time basis.”

III. FINDINGS:
12. On the issue of changing her designation as supervisor, TC Toledo was clearly
designated as Terminal Chief as evidenced by Special Order No. 2023.007 re:
Designation dated 13 January 2023.

13. As regards to the allegation of improper wearing of uniform, TC Toledo violated

the guidelines on Memorandum re: Reminder on Wearing the Prescribed OTS
Uniform dated 07 April 2022. Evidence shows that there are numerous instances
that TC Toledo was not wearing proper uniform. This violation was also observed
by the undersigned investigators as TC Toledo was not wearing uniform
prescribed under the said Memorandum.

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 14. With respect to the petition to designate a new terminal chief in Surigao Airport
Station signed by nine SSOs assigned at the said airport station, only the
appointing officer/authority has the power to designate, and to terminate the
designation of TC Toledo as Terminal Chief.

IV. RECOMMENDATION:
15. Forward to Legal Service for further evaluation.

PREPARED BY: REVIEWED BY:

GIELDAN G. BULALACAO ATTY. RACHELLE PARAGGUA

Investigator-on-case/TRO I Chief, Fact-Finding Investigation Service
FFIS/RSD RSD, TSRMS

RECOMMENDING APPROVAL:

BETHA B. DORIA
Chief, Risk Surveillance Division
TSRMS

CONCURRED WITH THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

EUGENIO B. PAGUIRIGAN, DPA

Director, Transport Security Risk Management Service

Approved Disapproved

ASEC. JOSE A. BRIONES, JR

Officer-in-Charge, OTS

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