Duterte wants Clark airport service provider out after luggage pilferage

January 19, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has said he wants the contract with Miascor Aviation Services terminated after the luggage theft incident at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Duterte met in Malacanang on Thursday airport officials and Jovinal dela Cruz and Rosemary Verzosa who complained that their baggage and boxes were pilfered at the airport.

"I would demand that there will be justice instantly. Whoever is the service provider there, you terminate the contract and look for another one," he said in the transcript of the meeting provided to the media on Friday.

Duterte said he did not want to see similar incident from happening again in the other airports in the Philippines.

"And so for the other airports in the country, I do not want it repeated ever again," he said as he warned airport officials and employees that he will kick them in public and fire them.

"The next time, if it happens, I will fire you. That's for sure. If robbery again happens, I will fire you," he said.

"So I would also demand that the airport authorities should call the complainant and make amends, maybe in public to apologize for the sloppy job that we are doing," he added.

During the meeting, Duterte inquired on the status of those who allegedly committed the looting.

Clark International Airport Corp. Acting President Alexander Cauguiran said the suspects, who were Miascor's employees, were already arrested but they were out on bail.

He also said that Miascor already terminated the suspects.

Duterte apologized to the victims after being informed that Dela Cruz and Verzosa were present.

"So I deeply apologize. We will pay (for) whatever your losses," he said.

But when Cauguiran informed the President that the victims already received payment from Miascor, Duterte became irked, saying that there should be no settlement. Celerina Monte/DMS