Cop checked in hijacker's luggage?

DAVAO CITY -- A policeman may have checked in hijacker Reginald Trance Chua, alias Augusto Lakandula, at the Philippine Airlines (PAL) counter at the Davao International Airport last May 25.

Chua may also have had help from the same policeman in sneaking in a pistol, a grenade and a parachute on board Manila-bound Flight 812.

Chua used the pistol and grenade to hijack the Airbus 330 jetliner and divest passengers of money before parachuting over Antipolo City in Rizal. He was later found dead in Real town in Quezon province.

Reliable sources at PAL said airline records showed that Chua had pooled baggage with Rogelio Layson, 50, acting regional director of the Department of Tourism.

Layson told The STAR yesterday a policeman helped him place his baggage on top of two boxes that were already on the weighing scale when he arrived at the check-in counter at around 12:30 p.m.

"The policeman, who was in uniform, even told me that the boxes belonged to Col. (Gregorio) Dolina (Region XI police chief), which I did not mind, and I even said that I know his boss," he said. "I was then issued the two claim stubs which I retrieved accordingly when I arrived in Manila."

He said the two brown boxes, which the policeman said belonged to Dolina, appeared to contain large slices of tuna.

Layson said his baggage consisted of a box of durian and a green Samsonite attaché case and that there were already two boxes on the weighing scale when he had checked in

However, Layson denied pooling baggage with anyone or that he knew Chua, and that he had not seen the hijacker at the check-in counter before he boarded Flight 812.

"I do not know him and I haven't even met him before," he said. "I am very clear about seeing only the policeman with a tall guy at the counter. But the tall guy could not possibly be Chua since he was described to be only 5 feet, two inches tall."

On the other hand, a PAL employee assigned at the check-in counter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The STAR that records showed Layson had checked in almost simultaneously with Chua.

But the PAL employee denied seeing Chua at the counter at the time

Layson was checking-in his baggage and that he had not checked in Chua's baggage.

"I am sure I had not checked in the hijacker himself," he said. "When I saw his face on TV, I knew I hadn't entertained him at the counter."

Efforts to get in touch with Dolina proved futile as he was reportedly inspecting police units at the northern part of the region.

The PAL employee said he was surprised to learn yesterday that the baggage that were pooled with Layson's belonged to Dolina.

"I am sure that Dolina did not check-in at my counter," he said. "I am sure that I did not facilitate his check-in. I only knew that he was a passenger, when the incident happened and when I looked over the manifest."

He said that he was sure that he only had Layson's ticket and that of Chua, in the name of Lakandula, at the time he was on duty at the check-in counter.

Sources said that Dolina could have had excess baggage, which the policeman remedied by finding passengers without checked-in baggage to avoid payment of charges.

Several sectors here have complained about the "escort services" which are allegedly being provided by policemen from the Aviation Security Group at Davao International Airport.

Maj. Bertrand Gido, acting chief of the Regional Aviation Security Office, told The STAR aviation security personnel at the airport are now being investigated.

"We will have to wait for the results of the investigation," he said. "Proper sanctions will be meted out to those who will be found guilty."