BOC employees at NAIA seek payment of OT, meal expenses ASAP

MANILA, Philippines - Employees of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are demanding that airline operators be made to immediately shoulder their overtime pay, transportation, meals and other expenses incurred for extra work hours rendered.

The employees cited the April 18, 2012 Supreme Court ruling that denied the second motion for reconsideration filed by the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR). The first motion for reconsideration was filed on Nov. 16, 2011.

NAIA Customs district collector Carlos So said in an interview last Friday that the Supreme Court ruling was final and executory.

According to section 3506 of the Tariff Law governing the mode of payment for overtime service, meals and traveling expenses for NAIA Customs employees, such fees are payable by the airline companies, aircraft operators, importers, exporters and brokers, Customs employees said.

In its July 2009 decision, the appellate court’s Sixth Division ruled that the BoC Administrative Circular No. 7-92 (CAO 7-92) dated April 24, 1992 is unconstitutional.

The order requires the airlines to pay for the overtime pay, traveling, board and lodging expenses and/or meal allowance of Customs personnel at the NAIA.

Both orders were ordered scrapped by the Court of Appeals (CA) in favor of the BAR. The BAR is composed of major airlines.

The BAR has urged the government to put into active operations all key airports and not just NAIA on a 24-hour basis.

The airline operators said the present one-shift system from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is no longer followed worldwide.

In order to avoid conflict, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the BoC would hire more employees to man the country’s main airport facilities as the agency is set to implement a round-the-clock service at NAIA.

Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said the hiring would start as soon as the Department of Budget and Management approves the plan to hire 150 more employees to man the airport around the clock.