THE Manila International Airport Authority yesterday said a processing center for passengers of chartered flights will be operational at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport this Saturday.
MIAA general manager Jose Ines told the Committee on Public Services chaired by Sen. Raffy Tulfo that after the lawmaker urged them to put up a General Aviation Terminal so that passengers of chartered flights can be screened, they set it up at the NAIA Terminal 4, also known as the Old Domestic Airport.
“It should have been ready by the end of August but there are some more things that need fixing until tomorrow, Friday, because yesterday [Wednesday] we had a re-orientation. Tomorrow, we will have a final run-through because we will turn it over to NAIA by midnight,” Ines said.
Once operational, passengers of chartered flights will have to pass through the processing center where they will be subjected to strict screening, have their baggage inspected, and undergo strict immigration procedures when on an international flight.
The creation of the processing center is to prevent VIPs (very important persons) from evading strict screening and inspection of agents from the immigration, customs, quarantine, and aviation police. They used to board chartered or private planes in hangars where their papers and baggage are “inspected,” avoiding long queues like regular air passengers.
The processing center will be manned by personnel from the immigration, customs, quarantine, and aviation police.
Ines served as one of the resource persons as the committee conducted a hearing to address the operational deficiencies in the country’s air and sea ports which led to the undetected escape of Guo Hua Ping, aka Alice Guo, and other Filipinos wanting to work abroad without proper documents.
Tulfo asked the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to set up similar processing centers in various airports nationwide since passengers may opt to go to provincial airports to evade strict inspection.
Capt. Oliver Tanseco of the Philippine Coast Guard said while the country’s premier airport now has a processing center for passengers of chartered or private planes, it will be a big challenge to the agency to monitor passengers of private yachts who wish to leave the country undetected.
Tanseco said the PCG only inspects private yachts when their owners inform them of their trips abroad. He said they do not inspect private yacht sailing within the country.
He said screening and inspection of passengers are done in commercial ports even if the trip is within the country.
“Alice Guo testified in the last Senate hearing that they could have taken a yacht. Since that yacht is used mainly for pleasure, it is a private, not a common carrier. I must admit that it is a gray area for now,” Tanseco said.
He said they do inspect private yachts, especially when their passengers declare they will go island hopping.
“They just radio to inform us that they will leave the port so we can monitor them, especially in times of emergencies,” he added.
Tanseco said yachts going on trips abroad are issued exit clearances once they pass through the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) inspection.
“But there is no need to seek clearance from us for domestic travel,” he added.
He said private yachts are inspected when their owners re-register their vessels for seaworthiness.
Tanseco said the PCG is now trying to come up with measures to strictly monitor private yachts.
“We know the gaps and we will enhance and ensure to prevent the likes of Alice Guo from leaving the country,” he added.
