Senator Grace Poe on Thursday stressed that travelers affected by the hundreds of delayed baggage at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 should be refunded for the inconvenience.

The lawmaker said that the baggage delays at NAIA Terminal 3 are unacceptable and must be resolved immediately.

“It’s unacceptable that hundreds of luggage are stuck at the airport due to a technical glitch. A delayed flight is bad; mishandled or delayed luggage is equally disappointing,” Poe said. “Whoever is responsible must address the matter urgently as valuable belongings of passengers are piling up at the airport.”

“Passengers pay for their checked-in bags as required by the airline company. They deserve a refund and more for the trouble caused,” she added.

Earlier this week, budget carrier Cebu Pacific said it was “actively addressing passenger concerns” related to the delayed baggage, which has been ongoing since 18 October 2024.

In a statement on Tuesday, the budget carrier said at least 821 bags of passengers were left behind due to technical issues with the baggage handling system at NAIA Terminal 3.

“We are working closely with the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., which is also exerting every effort to resolve the technical challenges as quickly as possible and restore normal operations,” the airline company said.

However, Poe — the vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services — expressed dissatisfaction over the week-long problem at the country’s main gateway.

“A week is too long for a problem with the baggage handling system to be remedied,” said the lawmaker.

“The technical issue must be resolved with the rehabilitation of NAIA. While at it, the airport management and the airline owe it to the affected passengers to be helpful and show that they are not sitting on the problem,” she added.