American and Israeli Travelers Detained After Airport Brawl in Manila

American passenger Kent Scott Lee, 54, and Israeli passenger Noam Shimon Rosenberg, 37, were detained after a violent fistfight broke out in the domestic departure waiting area of Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on August 6, 2026. The Airport Police Department (APD) responded to the scene where both men, who were separately scheduled on flights bound for Cebu, engaged in a physical brawl.

The Escalation and Verbal Altercation

According to police investigators, the altercation was ignited by highly inflammatory, antisemitic slurs. Rosenberg told authorities that he overheard Lee making offensive remarks mocking his Jewish faith. 

Enraged by the taunts, Rosenberg retaliated by kicking Lee’s trolley bag and striking him. The two men subsequently grappled on the terminal floor, during which a marble table near a food stall was severely damaged. Video footage of the fight widely circulated on social media, showing Rosenberg pinned on top of Lee while airport staff and bystanders rushed to pull them apart.

Conflicting Statements and Arrests

Following the intervention, Lee strongly denied being the initial aggressor. He asserted that Rosenberg had interrupted his private conversation and attacked him without any provocation. In the recorded footage, Lee can be heard shouting at the crowd, “You proved my point; you're going to jail; you attacked me,” while using profanities against Rosenberg.

Both passengers were immediately offloaded from their respective flights and taken into custody. They were first escorted to Pasay General Hospital for mandatory medical assessments. Lee also personally requested and paid for an additional X-ray examination.

Legal Charges Elevated

On August 7, 2026, the APD officially elevated the case to the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office. Both Lee and Rosenberg underwent formal inquest proceedings for Alarms and Scandals under Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines. Local authorities have not yet confirmed if additional charges regarding racial property damage or hate speech will be added to the docket.