Employees appeal Duterte’s cancellation of Miascor deal

The more than 4,000 employees of Miascor Aviation Services again appealed to President Duterte to reconsider his decision not to renew the company’s airport contracts for the sake of their families.

The employees made the appeal after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced it would not renew the company’s contract at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) beyond April 2018.

The DOTr said in a statement that Mr. Duterte’s directive was “very clear.”

“The President has also said that he will not entertain any appeal from Miascor Aviation Services,” the DOTr added, citing the luggage theft by six Miascor employees at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga in December last year as the reason.

Miascor dealt with the matter swiftly by compensating the victim and filing administrative and criminal cases against the perpetrators.

But this did not appease Mr. Duterte, who called for the termination of the 44-year-old company’s Naia contract last Jan. 19, 2018.

Miascor training and development manager Ritchel Bernardo said that employees still hoped Mr. Duterte would soften his stance given reforms implemented by the firm.

“The decision … was really an overkill,” she said in an interview before the DOTr announced their appeal had been denied. “What we are fighting for is the welfare of the workers and our families.” —MIGUEL R. CAMUS