Caap believes ‘no pockets, no theft’

IT MAY not exactly be haute couture but it might help keep their wearers honest.

This is apparently the rationale behind the plan of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) to redesign its employees’ uniforms to do away with pockets.

The aviation authority would also bar on-duty airport personnel from carrying their gadgets with them.

Caap spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the agency was concerned about reports of pilferage allegedly committed by airport employees and having “pocket-less” and “gadget-less” personnel should reduce, if not eradicate, thefts from airline passengers.

Apolonio said that not only would it be harder for airport personnel to sneak pilfered items out of the terminals but it would be more difficult to bring in contraband items such as souvenir bullets which may be planted in unsuspecting passengers’ bags.

The “no pockets and gadgets” policies were enforced at Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro City last year and the test run proved successful, Apolonio said.

Laguindingan also serves Iligan City and the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte. It can handle 1.6 million passengers a year.

Even ‘lechon’ gone

Apolonio said the policies were implemented at Laguindingan after a cargo handler was caught tearing off a large chunk of lechon that a passenger had checked in.

“The airline employee was caught on video hiding the tail of the lechon in his pocket. By the time the owner of the lechon arrived in Manila, most of the skin was gone, causing him to file a complaint,” Apolonio said.

“Similarly prohibiting employees from carrying gadgets would make it harder to steal a passenger’s electronic gadgets,” which could be easily spotted the Caap spokesperson said.

As for bringing in contraband, he cited two incidents in February at Laoag International Airport where two .22-cal. bullets were found separately at the predeparture area for two Manila-bound flights.

“According to the Caap security and intelligence services, those bullets could have been smuggled in by airport employees,” he said, adding they could have been used to extort money from harassed passengers.

CCTVs to be installed

The Caap is also looking at installing a closed circuit TV system to record the entry and exit through a single security gate of all airport workers, including airline ground employees, at all the 42 airports under the agency’s authority.

Among the country’s commercial airports, only five—Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark International Airport, Cebu-Mactan International Airport, Subic International Airport and Poro Point International Airport—are not under the Caap’s authority.