Soldiers beef up airport security

Two platoons, or a total of 42 heavily armed soldiers from the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Marines, have been deployed to the three terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and will be there on a 24-hour basis.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Edgardo Manda said they requested the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Marines to deploy the soldiers to beef up security at the three airport terminals to prevent possible terror attacks.

Security measures in vital installations have been stepped up throughout the country amid fresh reports that a terrorist cell from the Abu Sayyaf could be plotting bomb attacks.

Detained Abu Sayyaf militants and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) suspects had revealed the plot to interrogators, the report said.

Meanwhile, four representatives from American-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) arrived from the United States to meet with officials of the MIAA.

Manda identified the head of the four-man team of ICAO as Joseph Gastonguay. The other members of the group are John Gate, Kwang Eui Yoo and Matthew Ip.

The airport chief said the meeting with the ICAO team is a result of a Feb. 2, 2002 high-level ministerial conference on aviation and security by the ICAO in Montreal, Canada.

Manda led the Philippine representatives during that meeting. He said the ICAO team would be undertaking a security audit, similar to that of the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

He said the TSA’s audit involved the systematic and objective review of the Philippine aviation framework to verify the compliance of Annex 17, or the standards and recommended practices of civil aviation.

The Americans arrived from the US yesterday and will be meeting with the MIAA and other airport officials from June 7 to 17.

Aside from Manda, the four Americans met yesterday with MIAA Assistant General Manager Gen. Angel Atutubo as well as other airport personnel.

The ICAO officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Airline Operators’ Council (AOC), a global organization of airline representatives as well as security personnel of MIAA and other airport personnel.

The ICAO representatives are scheduled to have an orientation tour of NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3, as well areas pertaining to security at the airport.

Among the topics they would be taking up during the meeting this month are those pertaining to identification card pass control, perimeter fence of the three airport terminals, navigational aids, screening requirements and handling special category personnel.

They will also check on the security facilities of the three terminals as well as the sterile areas that would prevent the entry of communicable diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and bird flu.

The ICAO officials will also observe the security screening process at the Manila Domestic Airport, as well as visit the Emergency Operatives Center (EOC).