EX-Goin Bulilit star John Manalo said he was offloaded from his flight to Thailand after airline personnel flagged a minor tear on his passport.
In a Facebook post, Manalo expressed frustration over the incident, saying he was barred from boarding despite the passport being otherwise intact.
“I was offloaded earlier on my way to Thailand because of a minor tear on my passport. Everything else is completely intact,” the former child actor wrote.
Manalo said he was surprised by the decision, noting that he had previously used the same passport for trips to Japan, Canada, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam without encountering any issues.
While he described the experience as painful, Manalo said he chose not to argue with airline staff.
“Whether intentional or not, we’re issued passports that are so easily torn, and in the end, we’re Filipinos who suffer the consequences,” he said.
The actor also called for more durable passports, suggesting the use of polycarbonate material to prevent tearing.
As a result of the offloading, Manalo said he was forced to cancel flight bookings and absorb the loss of time and effort spent planning the trip.
He later posted a pointed remark likening the issue to the country’s infrastructure. “Kung mag-iisip ka ng masama. Parang kalsada lang sa bansa natin, bakit hindi gawing matibay? Kasi pag matibay hindi mo na kailangan magpagawa ulit. Walang pera,” he wrote.
“Nakakaawa tayong mga Pilipino, no? Ang hina na nga ng passport, ang hina pa ng kalidad,” he added.
