By Connie E. Fernandez
Inquirer Visayas
CEBU CITY—Two Chinese nationals were detained after one of them grabbed the husband of President Aquino’s eldest sister by the collar on board a Cebu Pacific flight to this city Saturday morning.
Han Yang, 33, and Xxx Mailiyasi, 31, were held at the Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) office at Mactan Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City for at least seven hours. Authorities later decided to transport them to Manila for deportation proceedings for unruly conduct in the aircraft.
The President’s sister, Maria Elena “Ballsy†Aquino-Cruz, and her husband, Eldon Cruz, did not file a formal complaint against the two men, said Senior Superintendent Arturo Evangelista, PCAS deputy director for administration.
Evangelista said Yang and Mailiyasi were among 12 online travel writers from Beijing who flew to Cebu on the invitation of the Department of Tourism to help promote the city in China.
Their 10 companions were allowed to proceed with the tour because the report filed by the airline concerned only the two.
Wedding guests
The Chinese travel writers took Cebu Pacific Flight 5J563, which was scheduled to land at 9:15 a.m. Saturday. Among the passengers were the Cruz couple, who were to attend a wedding.
Ballsy Cruz told the Inquirer that she and her husband were seated at Row 2 of the aircraft.
This was how she recounted the turn of events:
Yang and Mailiyasi kept walking on the aisle to take photos of the two flight attendants who were then conducting the airline’s in-flight games.
The Cruz couple noticed that the two men appeared not to mind hitting anyone.
Eldon Cruz was prompted to tell the two to be careful not to hit anyone. He also said their camera might fall.
One of the two grabbed him by the collar and said: “Why?†And then: “Sh-t.â€
Eldon Cruz instinctively elbowed the man.
No security detail
Ballsy Cruz said she was initially afraid that her husband and the Chinese might come to blows.
The Cruz couple had no security detail and were traveling with a friend who was also invited to the wedding.
Ballsy Cruz said her husband decided not to make a fuss and kept quiet because he didn’t want to cause a commotion in the aircraft.
It was the other Filipinos on board who expressed outrage at what they witnessed.
One man sitting behind the couple said in a loud voice that the Chinese were so arrogant and should be arrested.
“There was a Filipino-Canadian on my right who said, ‘Oh, my God. Grabe siya. Why did he do that?’†Ballsy Cruz said.
A flight attendant went to the couple to ask what had happened.
Eldon Cruz told her that he had merely reminded the Chinese to be careful, but was grabbed by the collar.
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