Tolentino: Video shows no security, one employee at CAAP Tagaytay station on Jan. 1

Senator Francis Tolentino on Thursday played a video that showed only one employee was apparently at work at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines' (CAAP) station in Tagaytay on January 1, the day Philippine airspace shut down due to technical issues at the CAAP's Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) in Pasay City.

Before revealing the video during a Senate hearing on the matter, Tolentino asked Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo not to suspend or sanction the CAAP employee shown.

“Baka bukas eh malipat na ito sa Tawi-Tawi airport. Baka magalit kayo, 'wag naman po sana, tumulong lang po 'yun. Do we agree to have that on the record with the presence of colleagues here na hindi siya tanggalin, administratively suspended, or transferred to another airport?” Tolentino asked Bautista and Tamayo.

“We agree sir,” Tamayo replied.

Tolentino said that he was at Tagaytay City on New Year’s Day, explaining that it was Senator JV Ejercito who told him that technical issues had frozen the country's airspace, affecting hundreds of flights that were supposed to leave, arrive, or fly over the country on January 1.

“My initial reaction was to send the chief of police in Tagaytay and all members of the PNP [Philippine National Police] Tagaytay: 'Bantayan ninyo ang CAAP kung ano ang nangyayari roon. Report any abnormality kasi nagkakagulo na sa mga airports natin. Kung merong gustong pumasok huwag ninyong papasukin kung hindi authorized, kung merong nakikialam, tulungan ninyo ang sino ang mga tao sa CAAP and support them.' 'Yun po yung napagusapan namin ni Senator JV Ejercito,” he said.

When the PNP Tagaytay police arrived at the CAAP station in Tagaytay, Tolentino said, they found a “normal and relaxing” situation.

“Alam ninyo po kung ilan ang tao doon, sa CAAP station ng Tagaytay? Isa, one solitary individual manning that station during the critical period in our aviation history. Isa lang siya, cool na cool siya, inom-inom lang ng mineral water... Naka-short pants lang siya, naka tsinelas, lakad-lakad... 'Tinawagan na kayo ng CAAP Manila?' 'May text po na wala nang flights.' 'So ikaw, ano ang ginagawa mo?' 'Monitoring lang po ako dito',” he said.

Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, said that there should be at least two people during each shift, so that there would be at least one person manning the operation if the other needs to take a break.

Another video showed the employee outside the station, showing the visitors around.

“Walang security guard. Police na ho namin 'yang paikot-ikot dyan. Iniwan na niya 'yung loob, nag-tour na sa labas, iniwan na yung loob so wala nang tao doon. Baka tumatawag kayo; nasa labas po, kasalanan ko po 'yon,” Tolentino said.

“We have reached a high level of alert during the critical moment, nagde-detour na 'yung mga eroplano, grounded na lahat, and yet we don’t have that state of emergency required to address a very critical situation involving that national security,” he added.

Tolentino then recommended having a “more professional” alert system.

“Another friendly suggestion can we make this more professional level of alert. Is it orange, is it red, diba para automatic na alam na nila 'yung gagawin nila, ang sasabihin nila, 'Chief of police, tulungan ninyo kami, mag-deploy kayo sa labas para walang makapasok dito sa loob.' Naalarma ako bakit isa lang tao dito,” he said.

In his response, Tamayo said that the CAAP was on “heightened alert” during the holidays, but vowed that they will look at staffing at their facilities.

“If we receive information like this, hindi naman ho pag-iinitan 'yan, but we will look in all our facilities to make sure that whatever directive we give is followed. Isa pa po yung dapat may security guard, laging may security guard yung facilities natin so at saka bawal po magpapasok talaga, it is a restricted area,” he said.

He also said that they will review their policies.

“Dapat talaga ma-monitor natin 'yan eh, you really don’t know what will happen, because during that situation, last January 1 'yan po ay very important to us, the Tagaytay facility, because that is a microwave facility and when we restored power at the CNS-ATM, 'yan po yung unang tumulong sa amin sa communication,” he said.

At least 282 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed on New Year's Day as the CAAP recorded a technical issue at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at 9:50 a.m. Some 56,000 passengers were affected at the NAIA. — BM, GMA Integrated News