MABALACAT CITY—Six employees of ground handler Miascor, who were involved in luggage pilferage at the Clark International Airport (CIA), were charged before the Prosecutor’s office here last Friday.
Miascor also filed separate charges of qualified theft against the same suspects who were terminated from their employment.
“After a thorough investigation with the Clark International Airport Corp. [CIAC], we have served a notice of termination to our passenger-service agents who admitted to pilfering the baggages of overseas Filipino worker Jovenil de la Cruz of Pandi, Bulacan,” said Herman Reyes, Miascor president.
Three pieces of luggage and a box belonging to de la Cruz were looted inside the Miascor office at the CIA terminal.
A source privy to the investigation said a closed-circuit television footage showed de la Cruz’s luggage arriving last December 24 being transferred by ground handlers intact.
However, de la Cruz’s luggage was already looted when he claimed it on January 10.
CIAC chief Alexander Cauguiran said he personally confiscated the IDs and access passes of the six Miascor employees, four of them female, and directed CIAC authorities to prohibit the suspects from entering airport premises.
“Thievery has no place in CIAC, whether those involved are airport staff, ground handlers or contracting parties. Let this filing of criminal charges be a warning to all,” Cauguiran said. Miascor is the ground handler under contract with airlines that service flights in Clark and handle the luggage of passengers.
Last Wednesday Miascor compensated de la Cruz for the stolen items in his luggage amounting to P82,824.