Question & AnswerQ&A (OTS MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2013-01)
The purpose is to clarify the rules on passenger shoe screening as per NCASP Section 8.5.1.3, ensuring mandatory shoe screening procedures at Final Security Screening Check Points (FSSCP) in Philippine airports.
All departing passengers must remove their shoes for X-ray screening if the walk thru metal detector (WTMD) alarm is triggered, if they are randomly selected (at least 1 in every 20 passengers), if there is an elevation in threat levels (Security Condition Two or Three), or when WTMD equipment is not functioning.
The Airport Authority is entrusted with the sound and responsible judgment to determine the need for shoe removal for screening based on risk assessment and prevailing threat conditions at their respective airports.
The non-removal-of-shoes policy allows passengers to keep their shoes on if the WTMD does not trigger an alarm. This policy can be adopted by Airport Authorities after conducting risk assessments and revising their Airport Security Program accordingly, subject to prevailing threat levels.
Under SECCO 1, manual searches are randomly applied to at least one out of every twenty airport users, conducted by a screening officer of the same gender. Shoes are removed for X-ray screening only if the WTMD alarm is triggered or if the passenger is randomly selected.
During SECCO 2, mandatory removal of shoes for security screening is imposed on all airport users, along with screening of cabin baggage and carried items. Airline operators may conduct redundancy screening at departure gates.
In SECCO 3, mandatory shoe removal and screening continue at the security checkpoints, with additional screening or searching of passengers, cabin baggage, and items at each departure gate by airline operators.
Airport Authorities must revise their previously submitted Airport Security Program (ASP) and submit the revised version to the Office of Transport Security for information, reference, and guidance.
The rules apply to all departing international and domestic passengers, including those transiting through Philippine airports.
This Circular took effect fifteen (15) days after filing a copy at the University of the Philippines Law Center, as per Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter 2, Book VII of Executive Order No. 292 (The Revised Administrative Code of 1987), as amended.