The Ninoy Aquino International Airport and 41 other commercial airports across the country were placed under heightened security alert on Friday following bomb threats received by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
“All 42 commercial airports of CAAP are on heightened alert as of today, October 6, following a warning received by the Air Traffic Service via email that aircraft from Manila, bound to Puerto Princesa, Mactan-Cebu, Bicol, and Davao International Airports are about to be set off by a bomb,” said CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio.
The email message sent by “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” read: “May sasabog na eroplano sa NAIA ngayon. Idadamay nila ang Cebu, Palawan, Bicol at Davao. (A plane will explode at NAIA today. Bombers will also target Cebu, Palawan, Bicol and Davao.] Please beware [email protected]>”
Apolonio said airports are now implementing enhanced security measures to ensure the safety and security of passengers, airport personnel, and facilities.
Aviation police head Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky said the threat was “most likely a hoax.”
“Nothing is happening. Airport operations is continuous, it’s normal,” he said.
A memorandum issued by Gen. Ricardo Banayat, Assistant Director General II of the CAAP Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS), ordered the deployment of adequate security personnel to manage the high volume of passengers and vehicle traffic.
“The airports will implement strict access control procedures for both personnel and vehicles, along with thorough inspections of passengers and cargo,” said Apolonio.
He said the CAAP-CSIS personnel are working with the Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group and military to intensify intelligence and monitoring operations.
The CAAP official also said Airport Security Coordination meetings will be convened with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the strict implementation of security measures.
Early this week, the Manila International Airport Authority and the Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group trained airport security personnel to enhance their ability to respond to an active shooting incident that could potentially escalate into a bombing.
Airport operators in the Philippines are required to conduct regular emergency exercises to assess the effectiveness of their contingency plans and review established procedures in their Airport Emergency Plans (AEP).
The training simulates airport bombing and active shooting outlined in the MIAA Airport Emergency Plan.