Footwear removal policy in airports suspended

AIRPORT authorities have temporarily suspended the policy of requiring passengers to remove their footwear while undergoing security checks.

The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) said on Tuesday that the suspension took effect on October 13, pending a review of the policy by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). 

The suspension covers all airports in the country. 

“Passengers will only be required to remove their footwear when an alarm is triggered during security screening, during increased security condition levels, and during random screening. The redundant screening for US-bound flights will still be maintained by the airlines,” the OTS said in a statement. 

The mandatory footwear removal policy was adopted by the OTS on July 10 in order to identify and prevent the use of any forbidden materials that might be concealed inside the footwear and utilized to commit acts of unlawful interference.

On August 10, ammunition and a packet of suspected drugs were intercepted by the OTS at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 during the X-ray inspection of shoes belonging to a Chinese passenger, who was then endorsed to law enforcement officers for appropriate filing of charges. 

On the same day, a Surigao-bound passenger was arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport since suspected marijuana was concealed inside a shoe.

The OTS did not disclose in its statement what prompted the DOTr to review the policy.