MIAA admits security lapses on day of alleged human smuggling at Naia

File phot of passengers queuing at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Terminal 1 in August 2018. —INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The head of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Tuesday admitted some lapses in security on the day the alleged human smuggling incident supposedly happened at the  country’s main gateway.

“Based po dun initial investigation po na ginawa ng ating team sa MIAA, may mga pagkukulang po na nangyari,” MIAA General  Manager Cesar Chiong said during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee.

(Based on the initial investigation of our team in the MIAA, there have been some lapses.)

The blue ribbon panel being headed by Senator Francis Tolentino is looking into Senator Grace Poe’s  privilege  speech regarding the alleged human smuggling incident that supposedly took place at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on February 13.

“The first one, ang tsinek lang po nila is yung driver, hindi ho yung pasahero o yung mga sakay dun ng mga sasakyan,”  Chiong said.

(The first one, they only checked the driver, not the passengers of the vehicles.)

This admission came  after Poe asked about reports that the authorities did not check the passengers of vehicles that entered  the airport last February 13.

“Ang nangyari kasi yung mga pumapasok na sasakyan hindi tsine-check yung mga pasahero. Ito yung nakuha nating report nung February 13 basta lang nakakapasok na kaagad,” Poe said.

(What happened was that they did not check the passengers of the vehicles. That was the report that we received in February 13.)

“Mas marami nga naghatid kesa sa pasahero mismo? Hindi ba dapat pag may pumapasok na ganyan nililista nyo kung sino sino-yung mga nasa loob?” she also asked.

(There was even an incident that the number of those accompanying the passengers are more than the number of passengers. Isn’t it right to check and list the names of those entering the premises?)

When Senator Jinggoy Estrada asked if the airport authorities checked the plate numbers of vehicles entering NAIA that time,  the  MIAA chief said: “Yun po isa pang lapse din po (That’s another lapse).”

“They did not even check the plate numbers of the cars that entered the airport?” Estrada asked in disbelief .

Chiong later clarified that plate numbers are being checked based on the approved list of vehicles that are going inside NAIA.

Also during the hearing, an immigration officer found “unusual” the presence of a lot of policemen and vehicles in the area right before a private Dassault Falcon 8X jet allegedly carrying seven passengers departed for Dubai.

According to Immigration Officer Glenn Ivan Juvan, a colleague helped him checked the documents of passengers because there were many people at that time.

“Maraming tao? Di ba pito lang ang sabi nyong nakasakay dun?” Poe asked.

(A lot of people? But you said there were only seven passengers?)

“Pero actually madami po kasing pulis and then bukod  pa po dun, yun nga po maraming sasakyan, which is unusual for a special  flight po,” Juvan said.

(But there are many policemen and vehicles, which is highly unusual for a special flight.)

Citing information, Poe earlier said that nine passengers supposedly boarded the jet but only six were in the flight manifest while another name was only hand written.

JPV