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The
agency manning the security force at the Tagbilaran
City Airport will be terminated of its contract after
the P2 million burglary of airport lights and equipment
discovered last Wednesday.
Gov.
Erico Aumentado ordered ATO Manger Edgar Solis to take
drastic action on the recent incident as it would jeoparize
the operations of the airport which serves no less than
four direct flights from Manila daily.
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The
governor said "there was laxity on the security of the
airport," after he summoned yesterday the local ATO manager
together with PNP Provl Director Edgardo Ingking.
"The
safety of the planes should not be compromised," the
governor stressed during his investigation on the case yesterday.
Solis
assured the governor that lights can be restored soon with
replacements to be installed immediately.
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The
governor ordered to expedite the installation so as
not to affect the arrival of planes during inclement
weather where the runway lights are needed.
Gov.
Aumentado will meet on Tuesday ATO top executives in
Manila to expedite whatever replacements needed at the
airport.
PNP
Director Ingking assured to deploy two policemen to
augment the Blue guards nightly to patrol the runway.
City
police still foes a blank wall on the runway case as
they warned scrap buyers to refrain from buying the
stolen items or they be charged on anti-fencing, Seven
security guards of the Tagbilaran City Airport are being
recommended for dismissal.
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The
agency is the Sikatuna Security Agency, the agency of the
seven watchmen based n Cebu City.
According
to Solis, he sought the replacement of the guards since last
year due to observed security lapses at the airport.
Two
of the agency's guards were on duty when 42 isolation transformers,
runway lights and aluminium parts and fixtures of runway threshold
lights were found stolen.
The
said equipment has an estimated worth of about P2-million,
according to Francis Daniel Hisula, 26, an airfield power
technician at the city airport.
However,
Solis said the robbery, apparently took place not just on
one occasion and was carried out by several suspects.
Although
investigation of the incident has been turned over to the
City PNP, Solis said he is also asking higher ATO officials
to look into the matter.
Apart
from replacement of the guards, the airport's aviation security
men may also be held liable for the robbery, according to
Solis.
The
ATO Tagbilaran manager however brushed aside the possibility
that some airport personnel are involved.
Solis
said that if the watchmen have been conducting their regular
hourly patrols at the airport's runway and perimeter, the
theft could have not happened.
He
however admitted that there are security limitations since
the guards could not entirely cover the 7-hectare airport.
Moreover,
some parts of the airport's perimeter fences are already damaged
allowing access to the area.
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