Airport authorities are looking at the possibility that a syndicate is behind incidents of theft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Office for Transportation Security (OTS) administrator Ma. O Aplasca in an interview said: “That is the direction of our investigation.”
The official added that “there are still pending cases that the OTS is investigating.”
Aplasca said that the OTS had identified several of the supposed syndicate’s masterminds, but he said authorities were still gathering evidence to formally charge these individuals.
Since 2022, 70 personnel have been involved in theft incidents, according to Aplasca. The OTS also said it has dismissed 19 screening officers from the service due to criminal and administrative offenses at NAIA.
OTS records from July 2022 to September 2023 showed that 16 employees have also been suspended, 13 were reprimanded, and 12 other cases were submitted for review.
The latest incident involved an airport personnel caught on camera swallowing three $100 bills allegedly stolen from a Chinese passenger departing Manila. The female staff is now facing administrative and criminal charges, the OTS said.
Both the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) expressed dismay, saying the latest incident of theft at the airport put the country again in a bad light.
Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Bob Zozobrado also criticized the selection of security checks employees at the country’s airport, citing the incident as a negative impact on the tourism industry, and urged the DOTr to crack down on theft.
Aplasca said the OTS has completed the initial investigation on their personnel, who are currently under preventive suspension, pending a more comprehensive investigation.
Aplasca explained the incident happened on Sept. 8, but they were only able to get the CCTV footage from MIAA management on Sept. 14.
Airport insiders criticize both the OTS and MIAA management for not implementing a policy prohibiting screeners and other airport workers from wearing jackets, and pants with pockets, as well as the wearing of jewelry while on duty.
In March, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez had asked Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to replace all OTS personnel assigned at the Manila airport following the incidents of theft, calling it a “national embarrassment.”