Shoes off at Mactan airport
Mactan Cebu International Airpoprt. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Security was heightened yesterday at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) where passengers were again required to remove their shoes and pass them through the X-ray machine.
The revival of the policy, which was stopped in May, followed a foiled attempt to detonate a car bomb inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Monday dawn.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) intercepted a Toyota Revo at 1 a.m. yesterday at the NAIA. The van contained improvised explosive devices and firecrackers, wrapped around bottles filled with gasoline.
The NBI arrested four persons and retrieved a manifesto of the group including an alleged plan to bomb several establishments, including the DMCI main office, the SM Mall of Asia, and the Chinese Embassy.
The NAIA was immediately placed under full alert after the incident.
A source told Inq.net that those responsible for the foiled bomb attempt were part of a rightist group which was unsatisfied over the government’s action against Chinese military activities in Spratly Islands.
DMCI, a leading real estate company, was earlier subjected to an investigation for allegedly employing undocumented Chinese nationals in its Calaca Powerplant.
Jemar Nietes, supervisor of the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) in Mactan, said they will implement security screening requirement and inspect vehicles and all passengers and airline crew members entering the airport.
Vehicles at the security approach are inspected including the trunk and baggage compartment. K9 units will inspect the parking lot and other restricted areas in the airport.
Airport operations in Mactan continued as normal.
No flights were cancelled although some passengers were surprised that the mandatory removing of shoes, which was stopped in May last year, was revived.
Police Regional Office (PRO-7) director Chief Supt. Prudencio “Tom” Bañas said they have intensified intelligence gathering and secured all vital installations in the region.
He directed all police commanders to take extra precautions.
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