FACT CHECK: No online sale of lost baggage at NAIA – MIAA

Claim:  The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is selling unclaimed lost and found items online for P556.54.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a November 23 post by the Facebook page “Lost baggage,” which has 232 likes and 285 followers. 

The post, which has since been deleted, received over 2,500 reactions, 2,000 comments, and 433 shares as of writing. 

The post included a photo allegedly taken inside NAIA showing hundreds of lost luggage that have been in storage for over six months being sold online for P556.54. It also linked a “learn more” button that directs to a fake website. 

The facts: In a public advisory released on November 23, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) debunked the post and warned the public against fake online accounts claiming to sell luggage lost in NAIA. 

“The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the airline operators have clear and established protocols in safekeeping and disposal of lost or left behind items. Selling these items online is certainly not one of them,” the airport authority said.

Altered image: A Google reverse image search showed that the picture of lost luggage used in the misleading Facebook post was originally taken at an international airport in Duesseldorf, Germany.

An article by The Irish Times, which used the image, showed that the photo was taken by Sascha Steinbach of the European Pressphoto Agency.

The misleading Facebook page altered the original image to include a sign bearing the NAIA logo and the text “Lost Baggage” and “P556.54.”

Claiming lost luggage: According to the MIAA, passengers can claim lost items by coordinating with airline and airport representatives or by calling the Intelligence and Investigation Division, the office handling lost and found items. For lost luggage, passengers can proceed to the Interline Baggage Section at NAIA Terminals 1, 2-North Wing, and 3.

Six-month retention period: According to the official Facebook page of the NAIA Lost and Found Section, lost and found items at NAIA will be disposed of after the six-month retention period. These items will be auctioned but not sold online, according to MIAA spokesperson Connie Bungag.

Official accounts: For official information on claiming lost items at NAIA, refer to the MIAA’s official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok accounts. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com

Larry Chavez is a Rappler Intern, under the Research Unit. He is a fourth year Communication Research student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa Manila. 

This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.