Press Release
September 7, 2006

AIRPORT SECURITY LAPSES NEED
TO BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED - ROXAS

Senator Mar Roxas said that while government is within its rights to investigate and file charges against a terror expert who was able to smuggle in bomb components on a local flight, such moves still do not assure the public about the adequacy of safety and security features of national and local airports.

Without prejudice to the Palace decision to file charges against this terror expert, it still doesnt solve the lapses that enabled this man to slip through with bomb-making materials, Senator Roxas pointed out.

The senator said the pride and egos of security officials should take second place to a frank assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of existing security procedures.

What would work more in our favor, insofar as the countrys international image is concerned, are concrete and urgent steps to show that we took this information seriously and are now taking specific steps to upgrade our defense and security systems, Senator Roxas stressed.

The senator said he was not out to defend the alleged terror expert but the embarrassment he caused may turn out to be a life-saving wake-up call for the countrys top security officials and the public at large.

Roxas was reacting to statements from the palace that the terror expert identified by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as a certain Samson Macariola made a fool of our security experts. It is not good for our international image to have something like this [.] It might be fake now but how would we know if its the real thing?

The senator from Capiz said that all airport security and key personnel must be able to detect explosive materials and components that could be used to make bombs regardless of who would be bringing them in. It is not enough that security personnel on duty at the time of Macariolas flight are now being questioned. I think what is of greater urgency is to find out the capability and level of alertness of our security personnel in all national and local airports and other ports of entry, Roxas said.

Roxas also stressed that airport security measures should be equally applied to all Filipinos and foreign nationals, including VIPs and their bodyguards.

Anybody who tries to pull rank, flashes a badge, or drops important names to evade these security checks should be arrested and questioned on the spot by our airport security, Roxas said.

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