PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte wants to terminate the contract of Miascor Aviation Services following the alleged involvement of its six employees in a luggage theft incident at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
This developed after Duterte on Thursday, January 18, met with Jovinal dela Cruz and Rosemary Versoza, overseas Filipinos who are alleged victims of the baggage pilferage incident at the Clark International Airport, at the MalacaƱang's Malago Clubhouse.
During the meeting, the President sought to provide swift justice by terminating the contract of Miascor, the ground handler under contract with airlines that handle baggage of passengers.
He said the looting incident was an insult to his "passionate and solemn" promise to tostop irregularities hounding the country's airports.
"It's very unsettling for me after making that passionate and solemn promise that every thing in the airport, the problem is we're trying to protect [every one], especially those little guys," Duterte said.
"I would demand that there will be justice instantly. Whoever the service provider, you terminate the contract and look for another one. And so for other airports in the country, I do not want it repeated ever again," he added.
His directive came after Dela Cruz, in a post on his Facebook account, expressed dismay after discovering that his luggage and balikbayan box were stolen inside the Miascor premises at the Clark airport's terminal.
Dela Cruz's post had earned sympathy from netizens and called the attention of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
Six Miascor employees were ordered suspended and are facing criminal charges of theft after they were implicated in the incident.
Duterte "deeply apologized" over what happened and assured that no "sloppy job" would ever happen in the airports.
"To Miascor, I don't know who's that, whoever it is. Tell them, do not create a ruckus," he said. "I'm just trying to be true to my promise. The next time it happens, I will fire you. If it happens again, if you steal or whatever, I will fire you," he added. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)