Actress and former Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairperson Liza Diño is calling for “proactive action” from airport authorities after discovering that a laptop and smartwatch were stolen from her luggage upon arriving in Manila.
Diño shared the ordeal during a recent interview on “Teleradyo Serbisyo” with her partner, Ice Seguerra. She recounted flying from San Francisco to Manila, where her suitcase arrived seemingly intact—until they opened it at home.
“I had a flight from San Francisco to Manila. Pagdating ko, dumating naman ‘yung maleta. Normally ‘pag dumadating naman ‘yung maleta, ‘di mo naman siya chini-check agad sa loob,” she recalled.
Inside that suitcase, Diño said she had packed a newly bought Apple Watch and a laptop as gifts for Seguerra. “Ibinili ko sa [Ice] ng Apple watch tsaka laptop. ‘Pag bukas namin [ng maleta], wala na talaga. As in wala,” she said.
She noted that she had no choice but to place the devices in her checked luggage, as her carry-on was already filled with three laptops.
Before even opening the suitcase, the couple noticed a suspicious tear that hinted it had been forcibly opened. Diño and Seguerra remain unsure whether the incident occurred in the U.S. or in the Philippines, but they pointed out that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) typically leaves a notice if they inspect and remove items from a bag—something that was not present in this case.
“‘Nakakatakot na feeling kasi grabe, I’ve been traveling for the last 30 years. First time ko na-experience ‘yung gano’ng kinuha sa loob ng maleta ko,” Diño shared.
Philippine Airlines, the carrier for her flight, has reached out and begun an internal investigation. The airline offered compensation for the stolen smartwatch, valued at $1,000, but not for the equally priced laptop.
Meanwhile, Diño confirmed that the Department of Transportation had also reached out, although there were no updates as of her interview.
“I’d like to think that ngayon talaga very active sila to address this issue na nangyayari sa NAIA kasi syempre, mukha po ng Pilipinas ‘yan e,” she said.
She emphasized the need for better protocols and accountability. “Sana magkaroon po ng proactive na action ‘yung ating airport on how to address these matters,” Diño urged. “We need to take this as a point of action of our authorities sa NAIA na kapag may ganitong incident na nanakawan ‘yung bag mo mismo, how do they get in touch with that airport and ano ‘yung protocols nila.”
