PH top security adviser says AFP should help fix airport glitches

The military should be allowed to come to the aid of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in times of concerning situations such as the air traffic system glitch last January 1, 2023 that temporarily halted flights and stranded thousands of passengers, the country's top security adviser said.

During the Senate hearing Thursday on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport fisaco, National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos said she asked former Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. why the military cannot help on issues concerning civil aviation.

“Tinanong ko si OIC (Jose) Faustino (Jr.), bakit hindi natulungan ang civil aviation? Alam ko ang military kasi because I also came from military 12 years ago. Ang sabi niya walang MOU (memorandum of understanding). Pwede silang tumulong pero walang legal framework for the military na dapat isipin natin ito,” Carlos said. 

“Sinabi ko na rin ito kay secretary Faustino noon na isipin natin 'yan push natin yan from even in national security perspective na pag na-compromise ang civil aviation gusto ko mag-kick in ang military,” she added.

The NSA adviser also urged the Senate to look closely into the “national security concern.”

“I would like the Senate to please pay particular attention for this national security concern, napaka-serious po nito hindi lang sa commerce natin, sa trade, napaka-serious sa human lives,” she said.

Carlos said the NSA and National Security Council (NSC) were "quite concerned" about the situation that affected several passengers due to flight disruption at NAIA.

“The NSA and NSC are really quite concerned about this happening because it has tremendous and very serious national security implications. It affects our country, we are selling the country as a tourist spot tapos pag may ganito talagang lubak na malaki eh,” Carlos said.

"Bakit siya national security threat kasi meron siyang karugtong sa employment, meron siyang karugtong sa confidence ng tao hindi lang employment, investment kahit ikaw local investor foreign investor magdadalawang isip ka. Mag-invest ba ako dito na nagpaparalyze itong civil aviation,” she added.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) if it has conducted a vulnerability test on the CAAP system.

DICT director Maria Victoria Castro said the agency is already coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and CAAP on the incident.

"We already started that as early as last week immediately a day after it happened however because its after the fact so that’s why it's taking sometime its forensic investigation already,” she said.

Gatchalian also asked CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo to initiate a formal investigation on the possible cyberattack.

At least 282 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed on New Year's Day as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recorded a technical issue at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at 9:50 a.m. Some 56,000 passengers were affected at the NAIA.

GMA News Online sought the reaction of Armed Forces of the Philippine spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar and Faustino, who has since resigned, and will publish it with the story as soon as they have responded.—LDF, GMA Integrated News