Business Mirror
THE head of Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) on Thursday announced extra security precautions in its four passenger terminals in the wake of travel advisories issued by five developed countries warning of terrorist attacks in areas frequented by foreigners.
Airport, shopping malls, resorts, bus and train terminals, and shipping ports are usually areas where large numbers of people congregate and could be targeted, according to Miaa general manager Jose Honrado.
He said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminals 1, 2 and 3, including the Manila Domestic Terminals, are now under increased surveillance with sniff dogs, snipers and plain-clothes agents.
“But detecting terrorist activities is better done through intelligence work and not the high-profile strategy of showing off your armaments,” Honrado, a retired general, said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Thursday said it is always on “heightened alert status,” implementing strict, round-the-clock security measures to ensure aircraft and passenger safety.
PAL made the assurance amid the travel advisories issued by five countries urging their nationals to take extra precautions when traveling to the Philippines.
“With or without travel advisories by foreign governments, Philippine Airlines always maintains a robust security system to address all kinds of threats,” PAL president Jaime Bautista stressed.
He said PAL’s sophisticated security setup, equipment and trained personnel complement the Philippine government’s own security systems in the country’s airport terminals.
Bautista said PAL, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, has a good safety track record.
PAL announced that it has fielded some of its 120 sniffer K-9s at Naia 2 to augment the security of the Miaa.
“We maintain 120 bomb-sniffing K-9s aside from those owned by the Aviation Security Group,” Bautista said.
He said it is no joking matter to feed the mostly foreign breed dogs, which thrive mostly on meat to maintain their strength and alertness. This does not include the cost of training and paying for the trainers.
PAL also employs the following security measures to ensure the safety of its passengers and cargo: use of cargo x-ray machines in the cargo-handling area in Manila and selected domestic stations; regular training of PAL security personnel in local and foreign training centers; implementation of the “Secure Flight Program”, which requires PAL’s US-bound passengers to submit specific data for identification and validation purposes by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security; close coordination with local and foreign security regulators; and implementation and strict adherence to aviation-security programs/protocols by Philippine and foreign regulators Bautista said the PAL management assures the riding public that it is “business as usual” despite the issuance by foreign governments of negative travel advisories. He said the airline’s safety measures are comparable to the safety standards being observed by other legacy carriers around the world.
Travel advisories issued the other day by the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand warned that an attack may occur at any time in the Philippines, and that areas frequented by foreigners were potential targets, including shopping malls and airports.
Reliable information indicated that terrorist attacks might occur at any time in Manila, the travel advisories noted.
Honrado said Philippine authorities are doing their best not to inconvenience passengers passing through the Naia’s four terminals by adding security personnel to augment its regular security force.
He appealed to airport users to be on alert on suspicious unattended luggage and people who might be acting suspiciously, and report them to the security personnel at the airport terminal.
The US issued on Wednesday a warning against traveling to the Philippines due to “high risk” of
terrorist activity not only in Mindanao but also in Manila.
Eduardo Malaya, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the government understands the “need of foreign embassies to issue travel advisories for their respective nationals.”
However, he added, “our expectation is that whenever foreign embassies have intelligence information about any terrorist threat which may be useful to our security agencies, they will convey it to our side in a timely manner. We have been informed that such has been done recently,” he added.
“These reports and advisories need to be seen in perspective, as most are re-issuance of previous travel advisories. It is best to exercise care and caution, but there is no need to overreact,” Malaya said. (R. Mercene. L. Lectura)
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