Chartered flight under probe obtained clearances: MIAA

FILE: Passengers at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City queue at the check-in counter as it resumes its operation after Air Traffic Management Center of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines experienced a technical issue on Sunday (Jan. 1, 2023) (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – A chartered flight under probe for suspected involvement in human trafficking has obtained necessary clearances, including Airport Police Department’s (APD) assistance, for its departure, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said Thursday.

The aircraft with registry number and callsign N9527E owned by Cloud Nine No. 1 Leasing Company Limited, left for Dubai on Monday night.

In a statement, MIAA Senior Assistant General Manager Bryan Co said APD’s assistance to several vehicles going to the ramp was authorized following a written request from Globan Aviation Corporation.

“The assistance of the APD was conducted in accordance with standard operating procedures requiring APD patrol cars to escort vehicles without blinkers and with no MIAA issued permit to the Aircraft Movement Area (AMA). AMA Permits are issued annually by the MIAA to its official vehicles and that of the airlines and other airport agencies with operations in this restricted part of the NAIA,” he added.

Authorities are currently probing the chartered flight following a request from PNP Aviation Security Group NCR chief PCol Rhoderick Campo who reported that there were violations in the handling of the flight.

Co said the flight obtained approvals from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for entry-exit clearance; the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) for the aircraft exit clearance; the MIAA for ramp entry of vehicles that transported the passengers to the ramp.

All passengers were processed and cleared by the Bureau of Immigration on site, he added.

He said the MIAA shall continue with the probe leaving no stone unturned to dispel “insinuations that persons are being brought out of the country surreptitiously without going through mandated pre-departure formalities.”

The MIAA assured the public that investigation into the incident would continue.

“The MIAA shall continue with the probe leaving no stone unturned to dispel insinuations that persons are being brought out of the country surreptitiously without going through mandated pre-departure formalities,” it said.

On Wednesday, senators called for an investigation into the flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) involving a private aircraft allegedly used for human trafficking.

In her privilege speech, Senator Grace Poe revealed that the PNP-ASG received an anonymous tip on human trafficking activity involving the chartered flight bound for Dubai on Monday.

Poe added that the flight’s general declaration included three crew and six passengers but instead there were seven passengers—one Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Vanuatu and three from Saint Kitts and Nevis—all with different types of visas.