CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – Caution: It’s all for show.
Three men gunned down guards manning the gates of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport here with assault rifles yesterday and hijacked a Hong Kong-bound Boeing 737 with 40 passengers and 10 crewmembers.
The hijackers fired a shot upon entering the plane. After a wounded passenger was released, two Australia-trained negotiators, along with a psychiatrist, entered the picture, providing the hijackers with a phone for better communication.
Police brought food packs and the hijackers freed two hostages in return. After an hour of negotiations, men of the Special Action Force (SAF) were dropped by a helicopter while members of the Special Operations Unit stormed the plane. The end: the three hijackers lay dead.
The Aviation Security Group led by Director Pedro Desuasido was behind the exercise as part of its Civil Aviation Security Program.
“This was done with realism… We can handle it,” said Chief Superintendent Enrico Salapon.
He said the drill was “very timely and well-executed,” adding, “We are ready to handle (such) situations.”