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MANILA, Philippines – Aviation authorities sacked 11 personnel of the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) for pocketing the terminal fee paid by passengers.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said in a statement on Wednesday, May 18, that the airport personnel – all casual employees – were part of a scam wherein used terminal fee tickets were issued to passengers, which allowed them to keep the payment.
CAAP Deputy Director General for Administration Artemio Orozco said the agency has terminated the contracts of the 11 job order personnel, who may also be liable for criminal charges.
They are terminal fee inspectors Daniva Acosta and Shane Alejandro; terminal fee collectors Shiela Oirada, Cherry Peralta, Jojean Conanan, Precious Fernandez, Gerry Revister, Maria Briones, Andy Mel Jones Concepcion, and Jovert Alejandro; and flight data encoders Shamar Glenn Mabasa.
Orozco said a CAAP regular employee suspected of involvement in the scam has been suspended pending investigation. “A show cause order has been issued to the regular employee who works as a terminal fee collector at the airport,” he added.
CAAP Director General William Hotchkiss lll ordered his deputy, Rodante Joya – CAAP Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) chief – to investigate how long the group had been involved in the scam.
Orozco said based on its initial investigation, the CSIS found proof that the members of the group were involved in the scam in January and February this year.
“We cannot yet say how much of the KIA’s earnings this group has taken through their scam of basically recycling terminal fee tickets until the CSIS concludes its investigation into how long the group has been involved in the modus,” he said.
According to the CAAP memorandum that ended the workers’ contracts, the contract termination order was issued without prejudice to the filing of the appropriate criminal complaint against them based on the CSIS findings.
The KIA terminal fee for a domestic flight costs P200, and P750 for international travel.
KIA is among the country’s busiest airports, popular among both domestic and foreign travelers headed to world-famous Boracay Island. In 2014, more than 2 million passengers used the airport. – Rappler.com
Photo of KIA from Wikimedia Commons
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