(RepublicanJournal.org) – An anonymous message that threatened several Philippine airports recently put all of the country’s 42 commercial flight hubs on high alert. The warning, which came via email, led to increased security, thorough baggage inspection, and 24-hour surveillance until further notice.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) reportedly released the media advisory, stating it was still working to validate the warnings. The message alleged, according to The New York Post, that security threats in flights departing from Manila, the capital of Philippines, and destined for Davao, Bicol, Palawan, and Cebu were at risk of exploding. The threat didn’t specify that bombs would be responsible for the events, but it still advised the CAAP to “please beware.”
Airports proceeded with caution, but they didn’t allow the warning to affect their tight schedule. All terminals in Manila added K9 coverage, and they worked closely with police to ensure no actual threat made its way to any of the scheduled flights.
Reuters reports, as per a statement from Aviation Police Chief Jack Wanky, that the message went out at roughly 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 4, although the CAAP didn’t publicly release the memo until two days later.
Wanky took the warning seriously and took the appropriate precautions, but he also suspected from the beginning that it might be a hoax. The general feeling as the airports continued forward with their flights was “business as usual.” Only one individual Reuters interviewed said they were worried. The person, a Philippine citizen, expressed love for their country but added that they didn’t always feel safe when they went to the airport because security there wasn’t great.
CAAP hasn’t, so far, reported any injuries or issues with any of its flights. It has, according to ABS-CBN News, asked that people traveling in the Philippines arrive early at terminals to accommodate the increased security.
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