Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Speak out: Firearms check-in people at MCIAA
I TOOK the Cebu Pacific 5J-580 flight for Manila last Oct. 7. As required, I surrendered my firearm and ammunition to the female police officer on duty at that time for her to turn over to the Cebu Pacific security counter beside the cashier’s counter inside the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA)—the gun, three 15-round magazines and the extra bullet for the chamber. I explicitly explained to the same female police officer on duty that I had a total of three magazines and 46 frangible bullets. She acknowledged and told me to check in my luggage and get my boarding pass first. After checking in, I paid the required firearm handling fee of P500 and got my claim stub.
I TOOK the Cebu Pacific 5J-580 flight for Manila last Oct. 7. As required, I surrendered my firearm and ammunition to the female police officer on duty at that time for her to turn over to the Cebu Pacific security counter beside the cashier’s counter inside the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA)—the gun, three 15-round magazines and the extra bullet for the chamber. I explicitly explained to the same female police officer on duty that I had a total of three magazines and 46 frangible bullets. She acknowledged and told me to check in my luggage and get my boarding pass first. After checking in, I paid the required firearm handling fee of P500 and got my claim stub.
Upon arrival at NAIA Terminal 3 at around 3 p.m. (our Cebu Pacific flight was delayed by two hours), I went to the firearms booth by the exit to claim my firearm and ammunition. Much to my dismay, the 46th frangible round was missing. The problem could not have been with the police officer on duty at Terminal 3 because he opened the package containing my firearm and ammunition only when I arrived to claim the items.
Obviously the problem was with the MCIA people—either the lady police officer on duty or the Cebu Pacific security people.
This is not the first time that I lost ammunition after checking in my firearm at MCIA. Could this be a simple case of negligence as a result of perfunctory performance of duty or could it be been more than that? If it is more than a simple case of negligence, then who could have been interested in that single frangible round? I paid Cebu Pacific the required firearm handling fee of P500 for them to ensure that the items are transported properly to my destination and yet their people failed to do so.
There may be other past passengers who had the same experience but did not have the time to complain. At the very least, the PNP at the MCIA and Cebu Pacific should conduct their respective investigations on the matter to encourage professionalism among their personnel. People should be held accountable and guilty heads should roll.
