WHAT was supposed to be a routine airport pickup turned into an intense tarmac security chase on Wednesday afternoon, ending with a 35-year-old man in handcuffs.
The man sneaked inside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) tarmac by scaling a perimeter fence and running onto Runway 06. Airport security guards quickly gave chase and apprehended him.
According to the PNP Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup), the intruder jumped over a fence located near the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Parañaque City.
During questioning, the man claimed he had gone to the airport to pick up his wife, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) returning from Austria.
He told police that he was walking near the Duty Free Fiesta Mall when he sensed he was being followed. Panicking, he quickly scaled the perimeter fence and jumped into a restricted area in the airport.
Despite the serious security breach, authorities allowed him to briefly reunite with his wife.
A police background check cleared the suspect of any derogatory record. However, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) intends to file criminal charges for unauthorized entry.
The suspect remains in custody at the Avsegroup station at Terminal 1.
Meanwhile, NNIC assured the public that airport security protocols were effective and the incident was handled swiftly, with no disruption to airport operations.