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THE
Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) denied on
Wednesday claims by some senators that it tampered with
or edited video footage showing the arrival of Senate
witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. last week at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (Naia).
Airport
general manager Alfonso Cusi said the insinuation that
the Miaa edited the video footage of Lozada inside the
airport tube was “grossly unfair” to the airport
management.
“The
simple fact is that the cameras inside the tubes
connecting the planes to the Naia terminal proper are
monitored by airport personnel but are not connected to
any recording device,” Cusi said.
“We
cannot edit out footage which, in the first place, does
not exist.”
Cusi
explained that there are no cameras inside the
bridge, “so there was nothing to edit.”
The
camera outside the gate is not a multiplexer. It was
only on monitoring mode and not set for recording, he
said.
“The
video footage we have is on the route taken by Lozada at
the departure area, which was on recording mode. This
was the camera setup since 1996 when the closed circuit
television (CCTV) were installed.
Cusi
emphasized that the cameras outside the tubes, not those
inside them, are the ones connected to recording
devices.
Reports
about the alleged video tampering had been attributed to
Senate blue-ribbon committee chairman Alan Peter
Cayetano.
Cusi welcomes
any queries regarding the matter, as well as the planned
ocular inspection of the Senate at the Naia set for next
week.
“The
senators can see for themselves what we have been
saying. Let me reiterate that the Miaa takes very
seriously every discussion on airport matters, more so
when it concerns airport security and public safety.”
The
footage which the Miaa submitted to the Senate showed
Lozada casually walking with the men who met him at the
airport. Cusi claims that it did not reflect his claim
that he was forced against his will to go with them.
Contrary
to Lozada’s claim, there were no armed men sporting
military haircut who allegedly accosted him at the
airport. Those who escorted him were wearing polo
barong and openly displaying identification cards, while
Lozada himself was freely using his cellular telephone.
This was
visible in the footage which was in compact disc form.
In the
Senate hearing on the canceled national broadband
network project, airport authorities stressed that
Lozada was not made to pass through the routine
disembarkation route because of the threat to his life.
The Miaa
was appraised of Lozada’s special concern by a team from
the National Police, that coordinated with airport
security officials. |
