MIASCOR claims no ‘due process’ in non-renewal of contract

An executive of aviation services provider MIASCOR said on Friday the company was not given “due process” when its ground handling contract was not renewed by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) after an incident involving luggage pilferage.

He reiterated an appeal for “forgiveness” and “kindness” of President Rodrigo Duterte, after earlier seeking reconsideration for the sake of the company’s 4,000 employees.

“It’s sad that there was no such thing as due process, because we were never pre-advised that there was this intention of non-renewal,” MIASCOR president Fidel Herman Reyes said in a television interview.

“There was a month-to-month renewal, but no reason given for non-renewal of the contract,” he said.

The MIAA dropped MIASCOR Groundhandling Corp. as the service provider on January 19, the same day Duterte said he wants the contract terminated.

The President also said the suspects behind the pilferage incident, where a returning overseas Filipino worker from Canada lost P82,000 worth of items, ought to be killed.

While it is “possible” for MIASCOR ground handling employees to be absorbed, Reyes said “not everybody can be absorbed,” referring to workers in support functions.

While the company still operates as catering and warehousing provider, its overall operations will have to be “scaled down.”

Reyes is now thinking of presenting to the President commendations from international bodies praising the company’s services.

During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit hosted by the Philippines last year, the contingent of United States President Donald Trump gave MIASCOR positive feedback, Reyes noted.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said on Thursday that the Department of Transportation will start “micromanaging” the security personnel at Clark International Airport, where the pilferage happened.

The suspects have been charged with theft, but are reportedly out on bail. —Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/VDS, GMA News