Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday said the New Ninoy Aquino International Airport Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) should review its security arrangements to ensure the safety and protection of its passengers.
During the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing, Tulfo said the lack of police and airport police personnel in and out of the four NAIA terminals led to a theft incident victimizing an arriving French national, who lost his luggage containing three luxury wrist watches amounting to around P18 million last October 20 to a recidivist thief.
Tulfo said having uniformed members of the PNP and airport police at the airport terminals will serve as a deterrent to thieves preying on both local and foreign tourists, after learning that security personnel have limited areas of jurisdiction since the NNIC took over the operations of the NAIA terminals.
Jio Mae de Castro, NNIC terminal security head, said the company hired private security personnel which they posted inside the airport terminals, leaving the PNP Aviation Security Group and the airport police personnel watching over areas not covered by the NNIC.
Tulfo said the PNP and the airport police must be allowed inside since the airport is owned by the government.
“Very important, of course first and foremost, yung magkaroon ng security personnel, whether plain clothes or uniformed para sa seguridad ng mga pasahero in and out of the airport,” Tulfo said.
“These people are trained…Imbes na mag augment kasyo sa kung sino mga agency,” Tulfo also said.
De Castro said they are open to such an arrangement.
Tulfo prompted NNIC to beef up security in and out of the airport terminals after Anthony Claude Boukhors, 35, sought the help of Tulfo after his luggage was stolen as he was booking for a ride to his hotel outside NAIA Terminal 1 last October 20.
Boukhors said his luggage contained three Audemars Piguet luxury watches he bought as a personal collection. He immediately reported the incident to the airport police who identified the suspect as Raymond Sarmiento through the CCTV.
With the help of a tipster, police recovered the stolen watches which Sarmiento sold for P120,000 to a shop in Baclaran. Sarmiento was arrested in Quezon City last Tuesday.
Tulfo said Sarmiento has a standing warrant of arrest for theft.
During questioning, Tulfo said Sarmiento admitted that it was not the first time he stole luggage at NAIA but was not jailed after the owner dropped the charges when the stolen item was recovered.
Boukhors, in a teleconferencing with Tulfo during the hearing, said authorities must beef up security measures outside the airport, especially in the area where arriving passengers book for a ride going to their local destinations.
Boukhors said he learned of it from netizens who sent messages to him who suffered the same fate.
“Outside of Terminal 1, when we arrive, there is like a Grab pickup area… And in this pickup area where actually most of the passengers are waiting for their ride, there is zero camera…There is no (CCTV) camera at this area,” Boukhors said.
“The thief wait around the area…and the people have luggage next to them but they are not like checking on the luggage all the time. So he allowed the thief to take their luggage and then go without being filmed…I think it’s very dangerous for the passengers,” Boukhors also said.