Clark officials in hot water due to airport security breach
CLARK International Airport in Pampanga TONETTE OREJAS/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON
CLARK FREEPORT—A man was able to board a flight to Singapore at the Clark International Airport (CRK) last week with no passport or a plane ticket, putting airport officials in hot water.
Lawyer Emigdio Tanjuatco III, president and chief executive officer of the state-owned Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Initial reports reaching CIAC said the intruder gained access to the terminal at 1:10 p.m. on Aug. 3 through the arrival exit lobby door, “[passing] through all security measures that were placed to ensure efficient screening of all passengers and authorized personnel in the airport.”
The CIAC has turned over the man to the police. He claimed he was looking for his wife when he boarded the plane without the proper clearance.
An Inquirer source, who asked not to be named, said the man came from the facility’s greeting area, had entered through the exit door for arriving passengers, and went up to the second floor to cross the passengers’ boarding bridge so he could enter the plane.
He was eventually noticed by a flight attendant who demanded to see his boarding pass.
Another CIAC employee said this could have been the second time an intruder had breached CRK security. The first incident took place in June, supposedly involving a foreigner.
‘Intolerable, alarming’
Tanjuatco’s memorandum on Aug. 4 was addressed to retired Brig. Gen. Nestor Deona, officer in charge of the Office of the Vice President for the Airport Operations Management Group; Edgar Guevarra, manager of the aviation security police department; and Leandro Aranas II, OIC of the airport operations department.
They declined an interview request, citing the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately known if the intruder was held for questioning or had been charged.
“Considering that CRK implements strict security and safety procedures, such incident should not have occurred. The incident is intolerable as it has created an alarming event that dispels absolute security of the passengers and safety of the whole airport grounds,” Tanjuatco said in the memorandum.
The Department of Transportation, its line agencies and some airlines are preparing to transfer several domestic and international flights to CRK following the order of President Duterte to decongest Metro Manila.
CRK, a former facility of the United States Air Force until 1991, serves as an alternative to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) during emergencies. On July 18, 28 local and international aircraft were diverted to CRK because of cracks on the runway of Naia.
