MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – The CNN Hero of the Year who returned to Manila after a brief trip to Hong Kong nearly fell victim to a snatcher on Friday afternoon at the airport in Pasay City.

TJ Manotoc of ABS-CBN News (ANC) reported that the incident happened when Efren Peñaflorida and some of the members of the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) were exiting the Centennial Terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Manotoc said Peñaflorida felt his messenger bag move and caught the suspect, Molly Fernandez, red handed.

Penaflorida felt the suspect’s hand and grabbed his wrist as airport policemen immediately pounced on Fernandez.

A CNN crew who was with Peñaflorida was able to document the commotion at the airport.

Although nothing valuable was lost, Peñaflorida made sure that the suspect would learn his lesson and not get away with the petty crime.

“He wanted to file a case right away. They went to the airport police and filed a police blotter there. They proceeded all the way to the city hall of Pasay City and the Hall of Justice to formally file the complaint,” Manotoc reported on ANC.

Authorities said Fernandez, 52, of San Pedro, Laguna was already taken to the police station for investigation and appropriate action.

The suspect was not a passenger and denied the allegation. He said he was just saving the pouch from falling. However, Peñaflorida said his bag moved, and he felt a hand inside his bag.

The suspect’s cohort, Corazon dela Pena, who blocked Penaflorida while Fernandez was robbing the CNN hero, was able to escape authorities.

MIAA to beef up airport security

Alfonso Cusi, general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), has ordered the review of the Centennial Terminal’s closed circuit television cameras to check if the suspect is working with a “bigger group”.

Cusi said Fernandez could be connected to a syndicate targeting airport arrivals.

The MIAA general manager has already directed assistant general manager for security and emergency services Ret. Gen. Angel Atutubo to review all existing security measures being enforced at the premier airports

Cusi also ordered a thorough review of the security system in use and how the suspect was emboldened to attempt to carry out a crime amid tight security being enforced in and out of the airports.

The unfortunate incident did not deter Peñaflorida from honoring his commitment.

He and his group went straight to Ayala, Makati for a rally concert.

CNN Hero of the Year's work

Peñaflorida won the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year last November 22 at the conclusion of "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

He bested nine other contenders from different countries. He received $100,000 to continue his work with his group, Dynamic Teen Company.

Dynamic Teen Company won the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino award in 2004 for its heroic work in bringing education to poor children in Cavite.

The group later began the “Kariton Klassroom,” which is a mobile classroom that brings around all their teaching materials to the different areas they service.

More than 10,000 volunteers now help educate more than 1,500 kids in depressed areas in Cavite since it started in 1997.