FOUR airport employees were arrested on Wednesday for alleged theft theft of pieces of jewelry owned by the wife of the Turkish foreign minister who attended the recent meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.
The suspects were identified as Yves Ronald Baguion, Wilson Mataganas, John Andews Racoma and one Mr. Alfaro, all employees of Miascor Groundhandling Corp. assigned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Recovered from suspects were one white gold ring with diamonds, one gold ring with five diamond ornaments, one gold ring with a big pearl ornament, one small gold ring with a small pearl ornament, one set of round pearl earrings, one set of flat pearl earrings, one pearl earring, one gold chain bracelet with a diamond, a set of earrings and one ring with precious stones.
The four were arrested even as airport authorities on Monday also arrested another worker for possession of a prohibited drug.
Elizer Espiritu, a Miascor employee assigned as a ramp worker at Terminal 1, was held after airport police found a sachet of shabu, inside his locker on Monday.
The suspect was turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency while the shabu obtained from him was sent to the PNP Crime laboratory for verification.
Connie Bungag, head of the Manila International Airport Authority’s Public Affairs Office, said the four suspects confessed they stole the items.
“The owner is Madame Hulya Cavusoglu, wife of the Turkish foreign minister who departed via Turkish Airline flight on 04 August 2017,” Bungag said in a message sent to viber.
She said the theft was reported to MIAA assistant general manager Ehran Balaban and to Ufuk Apaydin, Turkish Airline Country and Station manager, on Aug. 7.
“The access pass privilege of the suspects have been canceled by the MIAA and their names have been placed in our Stop List,” Bungag said.