MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 2) After being barred from boarding a commercial flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Wednesday night, the visiting president of the Pacific island nation of Palau finally flew home from Manila early Thursday afternoon.
The Philippine Air Force said President Tommy Remengesau Jr. and his wife Debbie, left at 2:16 p.m. Thursday after being accorded departure honors at Villamor Airbase on board a Hawker-800 jet chartered by the Philippine government from San Miguel Corp.
Remengaesau and his party were stranded in Manila since Wednesday evening after Continental Micronesia Airlines barred him from boarding flight CO 892 after the visiting head of state refused to be frisked, a security procedure at airports that Malacañang and Department of Foreign Affairs protocol officers requested waived as due courtesy to the dignitary.
Adding a bizarre twist to the incident, the Continental Micronesia Airlines flight that President Tommy Remengasau would have boarded was targeted by a bomb threat called in to police and was forced to turn back.
No bomb was found.
Police would not say whether the two incidents might be linked.
Palau Ambassador Ramon Rechebei said Remengasau returned to his hotel after being barred from boarding the plane. Rechebei said it was embarrassing for the Palau leader to undergo inspection at the airport, where Philippine officials, led by Vice President Noli de Castro, were on hand to see him off.
De Castro and Filipino diplomats tried to intervene but the airline refused to budge, airport officials said.
International Airport general manager Alfonso Cusi Thursday morning said the airline would be investigated for refusing to grant courtesy to Remengesau, who was in Manila for a two-day state visit with his Debbie and an entourage of 11 officials.
As of this posting, efforts are continuing to get an official statement from Continental Micronesia Airlines regarding the incident.
Remengesau and his entourage were to be given foyer honors at the NAIA before boarding the Continental Micronesia flight, which was scheduled to depart at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday for Guam, with a stopover in Palau.
Negotiations went on until midnight but the Continental Micronesia Airlines staff would not budge, citing strict US carrier regulations, said a source who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to discuss the matter.
At least three Palau ministers and the head of the country's senate boarded the flight after being frisked, Rechebei said.
But about an hour after take off, authorities received the bomb threat and the flight had to return to the airport, said Senior Superintendent Efren Labiang, director of the police Aviation Security Group.
Inspection of the aircraft and passengers showed no bomb, he added.
The airport control tower said it received a call from the Air Force, saying it had an intelligence report that a bomb might be on board the plane.
The flight, with 129 passengers on board, finally left at 4:35 a.m. Thursday, Labiang said.
Rechebei said the Palau officials on board the plane decided to stay behind when it returned to Manila and would take the private plane with Remengasau.
Earlier Wednesday, Remengasau and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessed the signing of four agreements between their countries on air services, medical tourism, education and telecommunications.
The two leaders also sought each other's cooperation on facing challenges like terrorism, climate change and rising oil and food prices.
Palau, an island chain of about 200 islands, only eight of which are permanently inhabited with a total of about 20,000 people, is about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) southwest of Guam and 500 miles (805 kilometers) east of the Philippines.
