20 May 2016 View photos MIAA probes new NAIA scam The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is investigating a new scam targeting departing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3), an official said yesterday. The alleged culprits are porters under the D’Prada Manpower Agency, and they could be charged in court if there is probable cause, said Jesus Descanzo, assistant general manager for security and emergency services. In a complaint filed before the Airline Operators Council, American Gary Charles Glass, 56, an employee of Delta Air, said that on May 3, he had just arrived at the terminal’s curbside when a porter approached him. He said the porter told him he would not make his flight due to the long line at the entry to the terminal, but for P2,000 the porter would expedite his luggage to the airline counters. Glass said two more porters approached him and said the P2,000 was to pay off security personnel and they had to have more money. He reported the incident to airport police officers on duty and later to Delta Air station manager Maria Rosanna Ocampo. Ocampo, in a letter to NAIA-3 manager Octavio Lina, identified Glass as an employee from the airline’s Atlanta headquarters and was on company business when he became the victim of a scam at the NAIA-3 departure area curbside checkpoint screening. She said Glass “was intimidated” by the porters and he gave them money for fear that he would indeed miss his flight and he would lose his belongings when “these three porters were harassing him at Gate 4.” Previous incidents Ocampo said she had reported similar incidents involving Delta Air’s customers, “who were traumatized by the deceit, interruption and inconveniences” caused by the porters. “Delta Air Manila is determined to pin down these unlawful acts hurting Delta’s brand and NAIA in general,” she said. Ocampo identified the suspects as Porters 186, 326 and 316. She also said that effective immediately, Delta Air will no longer allow D’Prada porters to loiter around the airline’s area during a flight departure. “They need to leave immediately after their baggage assistance to the customer,” Ocampo said. On May 6, Lina told Ocampo that the porters were interrogated by the airport police and endorsed to the assistant general manager for operations for termination of employment.
Being overwhelmed by some porters like that as a business traveler? He should have stayed a bit cooler in that situation, I mean what's the worst thing to happen? His company would have to pay for a later flight. Situation on Terminal 3 is crazy however from time to time - the entrances that have Cebu Pacific written on them are sometimes totally crowded with very long queues, while those further away have no queues at all. People don't seem to realize that those doors all lead into the very same big terminal, it's just a matter of walking 50m left or right, go in, walk to your airline's checkin section.
I've had two similar instances at Dumaguete port by porters. I used to view these guys as just trying to make a living, now I think of them as thugs taking advantage of people.
Years ago (more than a decade) I faced a daunting line to enter the terminal at NAIA1. Paying the porter and security guard (about 100p) was the only way to circumvent the line containing hundreds of people. Then, just a month ago, I encountered pretty much the same situation when flying out of NAIA3 with the wife. Once again I eagerly (and happily) paid the 200p suggested. Much better than missing my flight with perhaps 200+ people waiting in line to get thru initial security! If some porter is asking 2,000p, it must be based on how the foreigner was dressed. Ridiculous!
I had the very same experience around 1 month ago, but when you think on it we should keep the fact that there are other doors quiet, let the idiots queue if they want to, mind you being filipinos they probably prefer to stand in a queue if they don't have their motorbike there to take them that extra 50m.
I checked the other doors (the last time) and each one had literally hundreds of people queued up. I've used the alternate doors MANY times to good effect. Just the last time was a complete fiasco. I'm okay with paying 200p (not 2,000p) for priority queuing. Sure, I'd rather that they fix the problem, but if it's been the same way for the past 18 years (that I've been traveling to PI), then I'm not expecting it to change any time soon.
