Cebu airport, ports tighten security
More police officers are expected to be seen at Cebu City port (left) and the Mactan Cebu International Airport (above) as they step up security in these public areas amid the Davao attack. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Measures put in place for travelers’ safety amid recent Davao attack
Passengers, especially those leaving Cebu, are encouraged to be a few hours earlier of their scheduled flights at the Mactan airport as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC) tighten security amid the recent Davao attack.
“This is in response to the current assessed threat level at essential public utilities such as airports,” MCIAA said in a statement as it declared a heightened security at the airport.
The MCIAA in social media messages advised passengers to allow more time for airport processes due to the heightened security measures, which they had put in place to ensure the best possible protection of the citizens and the airport stakeholders.
Checkpoint, frisking
The security measures included the vehicles entering the MCIA complex being stopped and checked at the Pagasa checkpoint, with security personnel manning the checkpoint being backed by Swat teams.
The MCIAA also said that there would be more random frisking of passengers at the security screening area of the airport as the Office of the Transportation Security would also be on a heightened alert level.
According to the MCIAA and the GMCAC, they had coordinated with the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Unit–Region 7 (PNP-AVSEU-7) and the Office of Transportation Security (OTS)–Mactan in implementing the heightened security measures.
The PNP-AVSEU-7 and the OTS are also on heightened security alert heeding the PNP national directive to place all police forces under heightened security alert.
Other security measures included more police visibility inside and outside the terminal and more regular Swat team patrols around the area.
Airport and customer services staff had been also told to remain vigilant and to look out for unusual or suspicious activities with particular focus on unattended bags.
“We apologize for whatever inconvenience this caused even as we ask for everybody’s cooperation in these trying times,” MCIA said in a statement.
Cebu sea ports
Like the Mactan airport, Cebu’s sea ports are also tightening their security to secure sea travelers amid the recent terrorist attack in Davao.
Glenn Sarador, Cebu Port Authority (CPA) chief of port police, said in an interview yesterday that they had tightened their security in all ports in the province of Cebu.
More police officers are expected to be seen at Cebu City port (left) and the Mactan Cebu International Airport (above) as they step up security in these public areas amid the Davao attack. (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
Sarador also said that the Philippine Coast Guard were deploying more personnel to secure Cebu’s ports including their K9 units.
The ports under the CPA jurisdiction are the Cebu City port, the Danao port, Sta. Fe port, the Dumanjug (Tangil) port and the Argao (Taloot) port.
Sarador said that for travelers departing Cebu City’s port, their luggage would be manually checked and would pass through an X-ray scanner as part of the heightened security measures implemented.
Cebu City’s port, however, is the only port with X-ray scanners.
“We also conduct manual inspections. The security personnel will ask the passengers to open their bags for inspections,” Sarador told Cebu Daily News about this security measure.
For the arriving passengers, Sarador said that they would monitor and conduct profiling to ensure no suspicious personalities could enter the ports.
He also encouraged travelers to be more vigilant as they enter Cebu’s ports and head to their destinations.
Sarador said that travelers should report to authorities any suspicious personalities and baggage that they could find or notice at the Cebu ports.
For other Cebu ports, which do not have X-ray scanners, Sarador said they would conduct manual inspection of passengers’ luggage, which was made easier with the augmentation of more police and Coast Guard personnel to these ports.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu Station Commander Agapito Bibat also confirmed that they have augmented personnel in all ports of Cebu.
“We also have K9s for our random inspections. We will also ask our district office to augment more personnel,” Bibat added.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
