Senator Imee Marcos has filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the unadvised landing of a US military aircraft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on June 26.
The plane, a Boeing C-17 strategic transport aircraft, was reportedly from Guam and was carrying nine military crew and one passenger. It landed at the NAIA at 8 a.m., but the Manila International Airport Integrated Command and Control Center was not given any advisory on its arrival.
Marcos said that upon verification with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the US Embassy had issued an advisory to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the aircraft. However, Marcos questioned why there was an apparent lack of coordination between the CAAP, the DFA, and the Department of National Defense (DND) on the matter.
She also noted that the plane’s alternate airport “for contingencies” en route to Manila was Clark International Airport, not the NAIA. This raised concerns about the aircraft’s true purpose and destination.
Marcos said that she wants the appropriate Senate panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the landing of the US plane, including possible landings other than in Manila and Puerto Princesa, whether the aircraft carried cargo, and the real number of people onboard and their identities.
She added that the investigation is necessary “in aid of legislation” and that it is important for the government to carefully scrutinize the activities of foreign militaries in the country, particularly those that appear questionable or shrouded in secrecy.
Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, led an urgent public hearing on the United States’ request for the Philippines to allow the admission of Afghanistan nationals on June 16.
The investigation into the unadvised landing of the US military aircraft is ongoing.