Honest Customs officer at NAIA commended

A Customs officer assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was given recognition the other day for turning over US$1,900 in cash left by a still unidentified passenger who arrived in Manila last April.

Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo and NAIA District Collector Celso Templo commended Customs Examiner Norieta Abarintos, assigned at the Customs arrival area of the NAIA Centennial Terminal.

The cash, wrapped in bond paper, was discovered on the counter last April 30 after Abarintos had processed 16 Customs baggage forms for Philippine Airlines flight PR-105 that arrived from San Francisco, California at 5:45 a.m.

Abarintos, in an interview, said that upon discovering the money on top of her counter, she immediately tried to find the owner.

The Customs officer said she was not sure which of the Filipino passengers, all balikbayans, was the owner of the money.

"I couldn’t find the owner of the cash. So, I tried having the owner paged," Abarintos said.

Bernardo and Templo awarded a certificate of commendation to Abarintos "in recognition of her laudable action, an honesty in the performance of her duty" during simple rites held at the Customs Arrival area of the NAIA Terminal 1 last Tuesday night .

The cash is now being kept inside the vault of the Customs House at the NAIA complex.