A private jet took off from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday, Feb 13th, without authorization from concerned agencies, reportedly with more passengers than was declared in its flight manifest.
In a statement yesterday, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said he received reports that an unauthorized private jet departed at the NAIA Terminal 1 at around 10 p.m.
Reports said seven passengers and three crew members were on the chartered flight to Dubai.
Senators have expressed disgust over the attempted human trafficking involving eight Chinese-looking individuals through private flights at the NAIA last Monday and demanded that “heads should roll.”
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda, Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Robinhood Padilla, and Risa Hontiveros supported Sen. Grace Poe in calling for an investigation on the alleged aborted human trafficking, which could also be a threat to national security.
In her privileged speech, Poe detailed how the attempted human trafficking activities happened on Feb. 13.
“Let us not allow private flights in our airports as a way for human trafficking,” she said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) insists there was an irregularity in the departure of a private jet from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Feb. 13 without undergoing pre-flight inspection by the Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup).
In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the flight’s manifest listed only six passengers, but it appeared that more people boarded the aircraft.
“Avsegroup reported seeing more than six people board the private jet,” she said in the interview.
The aircraft, owned and operated by Cloud Nine No. 1 Leasing Co. Ltd., departed for Dubai.
Fajardo said there was a similar incident in December 2022 wherein a private aircraft left without a pre-flight inspection clearance from Avsegroup.
Authorities believe the incident could have been an aborted human trafficking incident.