THE Office for Transportation Security (OTS) has ordered the temporary suspension of the mandatory removal of footwear in all airports across the country while such security policy undergoes review.
In a statement released on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the OTS said starting October 13, passengers will only be required to remove their footwear in three instances -- when the alarm goes off during security screening, during increased security condition level and during random screening.
For US-bound passengers, the redundant screening will be maintained by the airlines.
In July, the OTS strengthened the implementation of footwear removal at the final screening at the airports nationwide to detect and deter any prohibited items that may be concealed inside the footwear and used to commit acts of unlawful interference.
On August 10, 2023, authorities recovered ammunition and a packet of suspected drugs inside the shoes of a Chinese passenger, resulting in the filing of charges against him.
On the same day, OTS personnel arrested a Surigao-bound passenger in Mactan-Cebu International Airport after marijuana was recovered inside his shoe.
The footwear removal at the final screening of airports became a global policy following the December 2001 incident where an Al-Qaida member tried to detonate bombs that were concealed inside shoes in a flight from Miami, Florida to Paris, France. (SunStar Philippines)