House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday demanded Office for Transportation Security (OTS) administrator Mao Aplasca to step down from his post as soon as possible due to his failure to prevent illegal activities by his employees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Romualdez called out Aplasca to leave his position following a controversy involving a security officer who allegedly stole and swallowed $300 from a Chinese traveler.

The House Speaker advised Aplasca to submit his courtesy resignation before the House of Representatives discusses the OTS budget for next year, warning the chief that he will block the approval of the budget if Aplasca does not submit his resignation.

Romualdez added that Aplasca already had his third strike, and they are already fed up with the reports about stealing and other acts of wrongdoing at the airport, in which OTS officials and their Department of Transportation (DOTr) supervisors are held accountable.

In March this year, he called for a revamp of the OTS after an airport security screening officer was arrested after stealing a watch from a Chinese national.

Romualdez said that the wrongdoings of the security officers at the airport, as well as the bad experiences of the tourists, would reflect on the whole country.