Shall we call this the “baggage scam”?
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is investigating a new scam that’s said to be targeting departing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3).
“The alleged culprits are certain porters under one of the manpower companies servicing the airport. Jesus Descanzo, assistant general manager for security and emergency services, said that the erring individuals ‘could be charged in court if there is probable cause,'” reports Rudy Santos in The Philippine Star.
Accoridng to the report, American national Gary Charles Glass, 56, an employee of Delta Air, filed a complaint before the Airline Operators Council. Glass cited an incident that happened on May 3.
Glass claimed that he had just arrived at the terminal’s curbside when a porter approached him. The porter told him he would not make his flight due to the long line at the entry to the terminal. The next thing the porter did was tell glass that all he had to do was pay PHP2,000 if he wanted to “expedite his luggage at the airline counters.”
Next, two more porters approached Glass and allegedly said that the PHP2,000 was going to be used to pay off security personnel. They demanded more cash.
Glass claimed that he ended up giving cash to the porters “for fear that he would indeed miss his flight and he would lose his belongings.”
Glass later reported the incident to airport police officers on duty and later to Delta Air station manager Maria Rosanna Ocampo. He identified the porters by the assigned identification numbers on their uniforms.
Ocampo, in a letter to NAIA-3 manager Octavio Lina, identified Glass as an employee from the airline’s Atlanta headquarters and was on company business when he “was intimidated” by the porters.
Ocampo likewise pointed out that she had reported similar incidents involving Delta Air’s customers, “who were traumatized by the deceit, interruption and inconveniences” caused by the porters.
The report revealed: “On May 6, Lina told Ocampo that the porters were interrogated by the airport police and endorsed to the assistant general manager for operations for termination of employment.”
