Japanese scribe gets back bag ‘eaten’ by x-ray machine

It was just a case of mixed up luggage after all.

Batanes Gov. Vicente Gato turned up at the Manila Domestic Airport yesterday with a black shoulder bag belonging to a Japanese broadcast journalist which contained $20,000 and other valuables believed "eaten" by an x-ray machine last Saturday.

Gato said that he discovered the bag of Tokyo Broadcasting System correspondent Akira Maki, 45, of Tokyo, Japan among the baggage in his vehicle upon arriving home late Saturday afternoon.

Gato, a retired Philippine Navy captain before entering politics, said that when he saw the contents of Maki’s bag, he immediately placed it in a secure location in his house in West Fairview, Quezon City. Gato also said he intended to bring it to airport authorities before checking in for an Air Philippines flight to Basco yesterday morning.

The governor turned the bag over at 6 a.m. yesterday to airport authorities led by Manila International Airport Authority assistant general manager for security and emergency services retired general Angel Atutubo and Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group director for inventory Chief Superintendent Andres Caro II so it could be returned to Maki.

"Sa sobrang saya niya, hindi na niya binilang (he was so happy he didn’t even count the cash)," Gato said, describing Maki’s reaction upon the return of the bag, which also contained a Palm Pilot and other valuables besides the $20,000, which was kept in three envelopes.

Caro said Gato and four of his aides were among those questioned by airport policemen during the investigation launched immediately after Maki reported his bag missing after he put it through the Manila Domestic Airport x-ray machine at 6:23 a.m. Saturday.

"His (Gato’s) baggage trolley was among those we asked Maki to look at during our search for his bag," Caro said. "Apparently, he failed to identify (the bag) as his."

It was learned that Gato also had a black shoulder bag among his baggage in his trolley.

Caro said that a review of the closed circuit TV camera recording at the x-ray area at the time Maki’s bag went missing showed that Gato’s group had preceded Maki in putting luggage through the x-ray machine.

He said a porter at the airport mistook Maki’s bag as luggage belonging to Gato and put it in the governor’s trolley.

Maki was about to board an Air Philippines flight to Cagayan de Oro en route to General Santos City to cover the reported presence of Japanese soldier stragglers from World War II. Maki failed to board the flight due to the incident.

Gato, for his part, was bound for Basco, Batanes via Air Philippines, but his flight was canceled Saturday. Gato’s flight was again canceled yesterday.