Senate seeks probe on private flights at NAIA
Amid reports of ‘chartered’ human trafficking
SEVERAL senators have expressed alarm that human trafficking is allegedly happening at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Senator Ronald Bato de la Rosa urged his colleagues in the Senate to assign an appropriate committee to immediately investigate the alleged illegal activities, including possible human trafficking at NAIA.
At the plenary session hall, Dela Rosa said he is “disgusted” with the alleged corrupt practices of “certain NAIA employees and Immigration officers” who allow foreign personalities to fly out of the country “without pre-departure clearances and other security and immigration measures.”
“They (NAIA corrupt employees and immigration officers) violate all protocols and laws just to give VIP treatment to these people. What a disgusting incident,” Dela Rosa said.
Sen. Grace Poe, who chairs the Committee on Public Services, in her privilege speech, called for a probe into the alleged human trafficking scheme at NAIA involving private aircraft and foreign nationals.
Poe said police and airport authorities failed to stop the departure of a February 13 Dubai-bound flight that carried ten alien passengers. Only seven, however, were declared before immigration officials.
She said a similar incident occurred last December, wherein an undeclared Chinese national was able to skirt pre-flight inspections.
“More than just a protocol glitch, the issue digs deeper as it involves national security and human trafficking,” Poe stressed.
“Let us not allow private flights in our airports as a highway for human trafficking,” she appealed.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said it is a must for the Senate to “dig deeper” into the issue.
“I think the Senate really has to do its oversight function to make sure that agencies perform at par,” Ejercito said.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada urged the need to do the proper investigation insisting that those responsible “must be unmasked the soonest time.”
“Heads must roll. Let the axe fall where it may,” Estrada said.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also expressed disappointment as he described the incident as “ridiculous” for allowing several foreigners to leave the country even without undergoing departure clearance and other security protocols.
The said individuals boarded an aircraft with tail no. N9527 is operated by a Hong Kong-based leasing company.
“We’re not only talking about national security here or human trafficking but also accountability. This is also an issue of graft and corruption,” Villanueva stressed.
