Liquid ban on LRT being weighed
By Jonathan M. Hicap, Reporter
ALL gel and liquid products may soon be banned on the Light Rail Transit as a precaution against a terrorist attack.The ban is being considered by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), which runs the mass railway transit.At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, hand-carried liquids and gel items will not be allowed on both international and domestic flights beginning Monday.
The new security measures were adopted at the NAIA following the foiling last week of an attempt to blow up airliners flying from London to the United States.
Mel Robles, LRTA administrator, said the LRT’s security guards have orders to be more thorough in inspecting the riders’ boxes and packages. The heightened security alert has been in force in LRT stations since the deadly terrorist bombing of LRT trains in December 2000, Robles said.Train
passengers are not allowed to carry liquid in containers that are not properly sealed and smelly, or are in danger of being spilled and becoming a potential source of accident for other passengers, he said.
“Students and common folk compose the biggest chunk of LRT riders. We don’t want to discriminate them. LRT will ban only liquid, gel and similar things if there is an official directive from office of transport security,” Robles said.
The LRTA has not also received a directive from the Department of Transportation and Communication to ban all forms of liquid, gels and canned goods on its trains.
Airport liquid ban
At the NAIA domestic and international passengers cannot hand-carry all liquids and gels except those they bought after the final x-ray checkup at the Manila Domestic Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals.
In all US-bound flights, however, all liquids and gels including lotion, bottled water, perfumes, toothpaste and liquor will not be allowed in carry-on baggage regardless of where it was bought. These items will have to be checked in.
Robert Uy, MIAA head executive assistant, said liquids, such as beverages and liquor bought at any concessionaire including the Duty Free shops located beyond the final x-ray checkup, can be hand-carried and be brought inside the plane in domestic and international flights except those bound for the US.
Under the measure, items allowed in carry-on luggage are baby formula, breast milk and juice if a baby or small child is traveling; prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket; and insulin and other essential nonprescription medicine.
The flag carrier Philippine Airlines has expanded the ban to include its flights bound for Canada. PAL flies to Vancouver via Las Vegas.
In 1994 a liquid bomb was planted by the terrorist Ramzi Yousef in PAL flight PR 434 from Cebu to Tokyo, Japan. Yousef, a passenger on the Manila-Cebu-Tokyo flight, got off in Cebu after leaving the bomb under a passenger seat. Authorities said Yousef assembled the device in the plane. The bomb exploded in midair, killing a Japanese businessman.
The plane made an emergency landing in Okinawa.PAL has since abolished the route but maintains a Cebu-Tokyo flight. PAL and Cebu Pacific have advised their passengers to arrive earlier than usual at NAIA for their flights and not to bring liquids to avoid being delayed.The airline carriers said passengers should be in the airport before the standard waiting time of 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights.
PAL said it will take additional security measures on all its flights bound for the United States and Canada in response to an emergency advisory of the US Department of Homeland Security.The airline advised PAL passengers bound for North America not to bring liquids or gels onboard the aircraft as carry-on items.
These include beverages, shampoo, lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and other items of similar consistency. PAL and airport security will thoroughly search passengers’ carry-on baggage as well as their persons.
For North America-bound flights
These measures are on top of security procedures on all North America-bound PAL flights, such as the removal and screening of footwear, and the exclusion of pointed, bladed and flammable items onboard.Passengers who refuse to be searched will not be alone to board their plane, PAL said. Covered by this advisory are PAL flights from Manila bound for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas (via Vancouver), Honolulu and Guam. --With Darwin Amojelar
ALL gel and liquid products may soon be banned on the Light Rail Transit as a precaution against a terrorist attack.The ban is being considered by the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), which runs the mass railway transit.At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, hand-carried liquids and gel items will not be allowed on both international and domestic flights beginning Monday.
The new security measures were adopted at the NAIA following the foiling last week of an attempt to blow up airliners flying from London to the United States.
Mel Robles, LRTA administrator, said the LRT’s security guards have orders to be more thorough in inspecting the riders’ boxes and packages. The heightened security alert has been in force in LRT stations since the deadly terrorist bombing of LRT trains in December 2000, Robles said.Train
passengers are not allowed to carry liquid in containers that are not properly sealed and smelly, or are in danger of being spilled and becoming a potential source of accident for other passengers, he said.
“Students and common folk compose the biggest chunk of LRT riders. We don’t want to discriminate them. LRT will ban only liquid, gel and similar things if there is an official directive from office of transport security,” Robles said.
The LRTA has not also received a directive from the Department of Transportation and Communication to ban all forms of liquid, gels and canned goods on its trains.
Airport liquid ban
At the NAIA domestic and international passengers cannot hand-carry all liquids and gels except those they bought after the final x-ray checkup at the Manila Domestic Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals.
In all US-bound flights, however, all liquids and gels including lotion, bottled water, perfumes, toothpaste and liquor will not be allowed in carry-on baggage regardless of where it was bought. These items will have to be checked in.
Robert Uy, MIAA head executive assistant, said liquids, such as beverages and liquor bought at any concessionaire including the Duty Free shops located beyond the final x-ray checkup, can be hand-carried and be brought inside the plane in domestic and international flights except those bound for the US.
Under the measure, items allowed in carry-on luggage are baby formula, breast milk and juice if a baby or small child is traveling; prescription medicine with a name that matches the passenger’s ticket; and insulin and other essential nonprescription medicine.
The flag carrier Philippine Airlines has expanded the ban to include its flights bound for Canada. PAL flies to Vancouver via Las Vegas.
In 1994 a liquid bomb was planted by the terrorist Ramzi Yousef in PAL flight PR 434 from Cebu to Tokyo, Japan. Yousef, a passenger on the Manila-Cebu-Tokyo flight, got off in Cebu after leaving the bomb under a passenger seat. Authorities said Yousef assembled the device in the plane. The bomb exploded in midair, killing a Japanese businessman.
The plane made an emergency landing in Okinawa.PAL has since abolished the route but maintains a Cebu-Tokyo flight. PAL and Cebu Pacific have advised their passengers to arrive earlier than usual at NAIA for their flights and not to bring liquids to avoid being delayed.The airline carriers said passengers should be in the airport before the standard waiting time of 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights.
PAL said it will take additional security measures on all its flights bound for the United States and Canada in response to an emergency advisory of the US Department of Homeland Security.The airline advised PAL passengers bound for North America not to bring liquids or gels onboard the aircraft as carry-on items.
These include beverages, shampoo, lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gel and other items of similar consistency. PAL and airport security will thoroughly search passengers’ carry-on baggage as well as their persons.
For North America-bound flights
These measures are on top of security procedures on all North America-bound PAL flights, such as the removal and screening of footwear, and the exclusion of pointed, bladed and flammable items onboard.Passengers who refuse to be searched will not be alone to board their plane, PAL said. Covered by this advisory are PAL flights from Manila bound for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas (via Vancouver), Honolulu and Guam. --With Darwin Amojelar
posted by Jonah | 12:00 PM
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