The Presidential Palace yesterday rejected MIASCOR’s appeal to reconsider its decision on stopping its airport ground handling operations at the Manila and Clark airports. “There is nothing to appeal as government has no existing contract with MIASCOR Groundhandling Corporation,” read the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday afternoon.
Roque added, “The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)’s lease and concession agreement contract with MIASCOR has already expired.
In light of the recent directive of the President, the position of the MIAA is not to renew the contract following its expiration because of many cases / instances of pilferage, both in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport. These include the theft committed to the wife of a Turkish diplomat and the alleged involvement of a MIASCOR supervisor with illegal drugs.
We have to look at the bigger picture: Our national interest is of paramount importance. In particular, we need to protect airport travelers from baggage theft, especially overseas Filipino workers who work so hard to earn a living, and to make sure that potential tourists and investors are not turned off by such incidents at the airport.
We are concerned with the workers but we cannot give their employer a concession on that basis alone, considering all the theft incidents by MIASCOR. Having said this, qualified MIASCOR personnel will be absorbed by other existing ground handlers. The fact is the jobs are there so these will be filled up either by new hires or qualified staff from MIASCOR.
On the proposal to create presidential action desks in our airports, NAIA authorities have been proven effective in this regard.
Our airport authorities have assured us that there will be no service disruption that will affect the travelling public.”
There are four other licensed ground service providers in the country including DANATA, MacroAsia, ORBIT, PAGGS and Sky Logistics.
So these other licensed ground service providers should be put on notice that any more shenanigans will not be tolerated or they could follow the path of MIASCOR!