The Manila International Airport Authority has filed criminal charges against 11 persons engaged in various illegal activities at the airport.
Among those charged before the Department of Justice were two taxi drivers namely—Daniel Sallan and Victorino Duldulao—who were involved in robbery and assault of arriving passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and airport station loaders Erickson Sindayen and Jil Cabigayan.
Sallan was charged with robbery, resistance and disobedience while Duldulao was slapped with direct assault, unjust vexation, and resistance and disobedience. Sindayen and Cabigayan, on the other hand, were charged with qualified theft.
The other seven suspects were Vergel Tenorio (illegal solicitation and other forms of deceit), Rey Anonuevo (alarm and scandal), Nersita Baul (alarm and scandal), Danjo Alfon (illegal solicitation ad resistance), Brando de Lara (illegal possession of deadly weapon), Agustin Diva (concealing true name and unjust vexation) and airport building attendant Christoffer Philipson Co (theft).
MIAA-Airport Police Department manager Romeo Labador said his office filed the cases against the suspects last month.
The filing is also in line with the directives of MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal to go after erring Naia personnel and abusive taxi drivers as three of the suspects charged were employees at the airport and two others were cab drivers.
Monreal said he joined other government agencies in cleaning their ranks of erring personnel and scalawags following a controversy involving corrupt police officials. He formed a special task group to intensify case build-up against the personnel involved in nefarious activities at the airport.
The Airport chief earlier said he is also considering to totally ban regular white taxis from picking up passengers at the airport in reaction to mounting public complaints against overcharging and other abuses committed by the drivers.
But the problem at the moment, according to Monreal, the the country’s premier airport does not have enough accredited taxis and vehicles-for-hire to ferry thousands of domestic and international passenger arriving daily.
Monreal said that he and his officials will try to make the airport terminals clean and safe and they will attend within 24 hours any complaints they will receive.
“I hope airport officials and workers will join me in cleaning up the airport of scalawags,” he said.
Meanwhile, Monreal on Monday led the commendation of 13 airport personnel for their outstanding performance and honesty in the line of duty.
Airport Police Officers headed by Roderick Mejia, Jesus Ducusin, Gilfredo Dilan, Victor Mallari, Alvin Patayan, Archieval Amoguis, and Eduardo Duran and Robert Umitin II were recognized for their successful operation against notorious Salisi Gang leader Brian Duque last Nov. 29 and the recovery of 22 pieces of stolen diamonds from Malaysia at LBC Express Warehouse last Dec. 22.
Amoguis and Duran were also responsible for the arrest of another Salisi Gang suspected member Rowena Pelaez, who victimized passengers and other airport users at NAIA Terminal 2 last Dec. 23.
Monreal also commended Rizalde Ocde of the Integrated Workers Service Coop and Antonio Infanta, driver of BRAM regular white taxi.
Ocde turned over a sling bag containing cash amounting to $11,000.00 and P11,000 which was left behind a money changer office inside NAIA Terminal 3 last Jan. 21 while Infanta turned over a sling bag containing gadgets and cash amounting to P220,000 which was left by a passenger inside his taxi last Jan. 19.
Other awardees were airport building attendants for their honesty in the line of duty by turning over left behind valuables and other properties inadvertently left behind by passengers and guests at the airport.