MANILA International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal on Wednesday ordered his men to strictly implement the “no pocket” policy at the baggage breakdown and build-up areas of the airport to prevent pilferage allegedly perpetrated by baggage handlers.
In a report submitted to Monreal, MIAA assistant general for security Allen Capuyan said during a recent inspection, his office discovered at least 20 individuals, employed by airline service providers, violated the policy while some other ramp personnel were found to have manually stitched their uniform pockets.
The policy was first implemented in November 2008 in a bid to deter baggage theft incidents.
Monreal also appealed to airline operators to consider imposing a policy on aircraft cleaners prohibiting them from wearing jewelry when boarding an aircraft as a parallel effort from their end.
“This will further promote the virtue of honesty as it will encourage aircraft cleaners to turn over valuable items, especially jewelry, that they find inside the aircraft while cleaning,” he said.”©
Monreal said that the Airport Authority will continuously carry out random inspections at the baggage breakdown and build-up areas to penalize those caught not adhering to the policy. He also sought the cooperation of partner airlines to police their ranks and help MIAA in ridding the ramp areas of scalawags.
When he assumed his post on July, Monreal immediately formed a composite team to conduct random inspection of personnel that have access at the baggage build up area in a bid to prevent the pilferage.
The move is in line with the planned priorities of the agency to discourage some ramp workers from pilfering passengers’ luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, particularly at Terminal 1.
The team was composed of personnel from the Airport Police Department (APD), PNP-Aviation Security Group and private security guards whose job will solely protect the baggage build-up area for “thieves.”
Monreal said he is also considering putting up state-of-the-art closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) at the baggage build-up areas particularly at the Naia 1 to replace the old which were installed in the 1990s.
The baggage build-up area is were all luggage of both arriving and outgoing passengers are being sort and loaded toward the baggage carousel at the arrival area and at plane, respectively. It is jointly manned by airline employees and airport baggage handling and security personnel.
MIAA administrators in the past launched a campaign against baggage pilferage in an effort to help the airlines in protecting its passengers’ check-in luggage possibly against unscrupulous station loaders who are employees of a subsidiary corporation of Naia’s accredited ground handling companies.