THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday expressed alarm over the interception of P441 million in cash from 11 passengers at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport over the weekend.
The incident has sparked concerns about possible election-related illegal activities, including vote-buying and money laundering.
“The involvement of multiple foreign nationals strongly suggests the alarming possibility of foreign interference in our sovereign electoral process,” the AFP said in a statement.
The AFP reassured the public of its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the nation’s democratic institutions and pledged its full support for the ongoing investigation.
“We laud the vigilance and rapid response of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies, whose actions may have averted a significant threat to our democracy,” the AFP said.
The bundles of cash, discovered between 11:30 p.m. on May 9 and 4:14 a.m. on May 10, were concealed in seven trolley bags.
According to the Office for Transportation Security screening officer (SSO) Missy Ayessa Cafe detected an unusual image on the X-ray monitor. This prompted her to alert co-worker Rosendo Anoos and a Philippine National Police Aviation Security officer. Upon inspection, they found the bags stuffed with cash.
The fund was set to be flown aboard a private aircraft, flight RP-C9968, bound for Manila. The suspects, who arrived in a van, included six Chinese, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, one Kazakhstani, and two Filipino nationals. They reportedly tried to bypass standard security protocols but failed to present valid documentation for the cash transport.
Authorities said the act violated Section 28 of Comelec Resolution No. 11104, which prohibits the carrying or possession more than P500,000 in cash along with campaign materials or related evidence during the “money ban” period from May 10 to 12.
The AFP urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.
“We call on all citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as we work together to safeguard the peaceful and credible conduct of the upcoming elections,” the AFP said.