Tulfo suggests processing center for private planes amid alleged human smuggling

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday recommended the creation of a processing center to screen private planes and their passengers, amid alleged human smuggling activities using private aircraft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Tulfo said these "VIP" passengers should undergo screening like regular passengers to avoid possible illegal activities.

“I would recommend these VIP passengers, mawalang galang sa kanila, eh stop muna yung sasakay sila sa kanilang private vehicles at didiretso sa kanilang eroplano mismo. From now on, they should be processed just like everybody else. Who are these people, bakit sila binibigyan ng super VIP treatment?” the senator said.

(I would recommend these VIP passengers, with respect to them, they should be stopped from boarding the private vehicles first without proper screening. From now on, they should be processed just like everybody else. Who are these people? Why are they receiving super VIP treatment?)

“Mayroong isang processing center dadaan sa butas ng karayom tulad ng nangyayari sa amin. What makes them so special at sila ay pwedeng sumakay sa kanilang sasakyan ng ganoon lamang,” he said.

(There should be a processing center that they should go through just like regular passengers. What makes them so special that they can board their planes just like that.)

Tulfo then asked Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Cesar Chiong if he can also recommend it to the Senate committee hearing.

“Tama po kayo sir. Ang recommendation po namin after this incident is for us to have a 'one-stop shop' processing center and the first recommendation that we have is to do it in the terminal muna,” Chiong answered.

(We agree sir. Our recommendation after this incident is for us to have a 'one-stop shop' processing center and the first recommendation that we have is to do it in the terminal first.)

“Ideally, po kasi sa ibang bansa what they have is a general aviation terminal nakaseparate po yung commercial flights and private jet so sa Asia based po sa naresearch namin parang Vietnam lang at Philippines ang walang aviation,” he added.

(Ideally, in other countries what they have is a general aviation terminal, commercial flights and private jets are separated, so in Asia, based on what we have researched, only Vietnam and the Philippines do not have aviation terminals like that.)

The Senate probe was conducted after Senator Grace Poe revealed in a privilege speech about an alleged human smuggling incident on February 13 involving an private aircraft.

There had been a question about the number of passengers onboard compared to the number on the flight's General Declaration.

The immigration officers said that they already processed the additional passengers and that they were cleared to travel even though they were not included in the flight manifest, Poe said.

Tulfo also slammed Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEGROUP) Chief Police Colonel Rhoderick Campo's saying that he failed to assert his authority as a police officer to stop the plane from boarding since he was on the ground during that time.

The senator said Campo should have had direct contact with the authorities and not just called CAAP Intelligence and Investigation Division chief Dionisio Robles, who was not on the ground.

“Nandoon ka na eh, kumbaga inutil ka, you can't function without talking to him, bakit kailangan pa tatawag sa kanya eh wala naman siya doon,” the senator said.

(You were there, you cannot function without talking to him. Why are you talking to him if he was not on the ground.)

“As mentioned sir, I do not have a direct contact with the tower,” Campo answered.

“Then from now on you should have a direct contact. Kung kinakailangan mong puntahan mismo gamitin mo yung motor o kotse. Dapat noon pa may direct contact ka sa lahat [You should use your motor or car to reach the tower. You should have a direct contact with everyone],” Tulfo said.

Tulfo then asked Chiong who conducted the screening of private vehicles with VIP passengers onboard.

Chiong said Assistant General Manager for Security General Manuel Gonzales handled the screening procedures, adding that they also checked the information based on the approved list of vehicles going inside NAIA.

Meanwhile, Poe agreed with Tulfo's recommendation, saying that baggage should also be checked by the Bureau of Customs.

“I agree with the recommendation of sen. Tulfo to have a separate general aviation security check. Isa pa kasi yung mga bagahe ito naman sa Customs nacheck ba nila yung nilalaman sa general aviation flights kasi pwede diyan kung ano pwede ismuggled na di natin alam,” she said.

(I agree with the recommendation of Tulfo to have a separate general aviation security check. Another thing is that the luggage is at Customs. Did they check the content of the baggage in the general aviation flights because they can also be smuggled, we don't know.)

Tulfo said there should also have a clear definition on which agency secures the airport, adding that there was an “overlapping of functions.”

“Kailangan ang seguridad sa airport ma-clearly defined because I see overlapping of functions. Meron tayong MIAA, may AVSECOM, mayroon tayong Customs, mayroong CAAP, na kanya-kanyang diskarte sa pag-secure ng airport. Sino ba talaga ang pangunahing magse-secure ng airport?” he added.

(The security at the airport needs to be clearly defined because I see overlapping of functions. We have MIAA, we have AVSECOM, we have Customs, we have CAAP, which have different approaches to securing the airport. Who is really primarily tasked with securing the airport in the first place?) — BM, GMA Integrated News