MANILA, Philippines – The management of the Metro Railway Line 3 (MRT-3) clarified some liquid items will still be permitted inside its trains.
In a statement on Thursday, the MRT-3 management said that the following liquids will be allowed once validated and approved by security personnel and police officers in stations:
– Baby formula or breast milk in bottles, if the passenger is traveling with a baby or small child
– Drinking water to be used by the baby or small child
– All prescription and over-the-counter medications
– Liquids including water, juice or liquid nutrition or gels for passenger with a disability or health condition
– Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as blood products, and transplant organs
– Items used to augment the body and for medical and cosmetics reasons such as mastectomy products, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids
– Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medical-related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.
The management also said that passengers can retrieve confiscated items after “proper verification through the presentation of appropriate identification to the station’s supervisor.”
Transport Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddess Hope Libiran said that security guards at the station would ask for the passengers name and contact number if they are to leave their items.
Meanwhile, the management remains firm in its newly implemented security rules that any other liquid substance not mentioned in the list, including bottled water, are prohibited as they may be used to create liquid bombs.
Due to the fact that it is oily and clear, the management noted that if nitroglycerin “is poured in an opaque lotion bottle, no one would know what is inside.”
“Because it is clear and oily, nitroglycerin would be easy to conceal in lotion or shampoo bottles. Nitroglycerin’s inherent instability would make this bottle very dangerous for you to carry around,” it added.
The train management, however, noted that their rules only apply to the stations of the MRT-3 and not with the Light Rail Transit and the Philippine National Railway as they have their own security measures.
The management also appealed to its passengers for full cooperation and understanding.
“We do not want to be lax on our security measures across all transport sectors so as to ensure the safety and security of our passengers,” Libiran said in a viber message to reporters. /gsg
READ: Bottled water banned at LRT, MRT stations for security