Civil Aviation Security Bureau: Safeguarding the Navigation of the Skies Complacency or a false sense of security should not

be allowed to develop as a result of long periods without an accident or serious incident. An organization with a good safety record is not necessarily a safe organization. International Civil Aviation Organization, 'Accident Prevention Manual, 1984. In most parts of the world, air transportation has become a vital component of national activity and economic prosperity. This has led to the expectation of air travelers that the full resources of the nation for a safer operating environment for transport, commerce, recreation and travel industries that will promote greater economic benefit for a country. International agreements and conventions create a legal responsibility for the Signatory states. By signing these documents, States formally acknowledge the need for countries to work together for the collective good of the global community, including rendering assistance to persons in distress. These agreements are based on the three fundamental principles of international law: good faith, consent and national responsibility, given that entering into them are voluntary. Up until the Second World War, the conduct of commercial aviation activities between countries was based mainly on bilateral arrangements due to the fact that there was a prevailing unqualified national sovereignty over airspace. With the Second World War coming to an end, interested parties met in Chicago in late 1944 to draw up a new treaty to allow more open access for the conduct of international air commerce. The result of this meeting was the Convention on International Civil Aviation (or Chicago Convention), establishing the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This Convention has the objective of providing an agreement on principles and arrangements governing international civil aviation in the interest of safe navigation of the skies. It has close to universal acceptance with 188 signatory or Contracting States The Philippines, having ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation on 1 March 1947 and being one of the 188 Contracting States (as of June 2002) of the ICAO, is bound to comply with the international standards of safeguarding civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference, including global terrorism. Specifically stated in Standard 3.1.2 of the ICAO Annex 17, Amendment 11: Each Contracting State shall designate and specify to ICAO an appropriate authority

within its administration to be responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the national civil aviation security programme, thus, the country, through no less than Her Excellency, President GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYOcommitted the Philippine Government in the fight against global terrorism. In January 30, 2004, the President issued Executive Order No. 277 creating the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) within the Department of Transportation Communication and reconstituting the National Council for Civil Aviation Security (NCCAS) to the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC). And as response to the international mandate calling for a single authority for securing all modes of transportation in the Philippines per the ICAO and IM0 guidelines, the President issued Executive Order No. 311 on April 26, 2004, designating the OTS as the single authority called for and thereto expanding its powers and functions. To effectively carry out its mandate of securing the Transportation Systems against Terrorism, OTS was organized into three ( 3) Transportation Security Bureaus Civil Aviation Security Bureau (CASB), Maritime Transportation Security Bureau (MTSB) and Land Transportation Security Bureau (LTSB), together with three (3) Support Bureaus - Intelligence and Operations Bureau (IOB), Administrative and Finance Bureau (AFB), and Legal and Planning Bureau (LPB). To further strengthen the mandated authority of protecting the countrys air transportation systems, network and infrastructure from any acts of unlawful interference and ensure freedom of air movement for people and commerce for the sustenance of our economy and development, and to comply with Standard 3.1.1 of the ICAO Annex 17, Amendment 11 which states that, Each Contracting State shall establish and implement a written national civil aviation security programme to safeguard civil aviation operations against acts of unlawful interference, through regulations, practices and procedures which take into account the safety, regularity and efficiency of flights, a Philippine National Civil Aviation Security Programme is currently on its 2nd revision. The Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications also has approved nine (9) OTS Transportation Security Regulations (TSRs). These OTS-TSRs serve as guidelines for the following tasks: OTS-CASB Training, Quality Control and Testing; Daily Operational Testing of Screening Equipment; Standard Criteria for Appointment of CASB Airport Security Screener; Definition and Allocation of Aviation Security Tasks; Security Requirements for Airlines, General Aviation and Airport Service Providers; Standard Specifications for X-ray Machines; Conduct of background Check; Shared Information Protection; and OTS K-9 Explosive Detection Evaluation Committee (EDEC) Selection and Deployment. In accordance with ICAO Annex 17, Standard 3.4.4 that Each Contracting State shall require the appropriate authority to develop, implement and maintain a national civil aviation security quality control programme to determine compliance with and validate the effectiveness of its national civil aviation security programme, the Civil Aviation Security Bureau has established its Quality Control (QC) Unit performing security audits, tests, surveys and inspections. The QC personnel are trained to appropriate standards and are afforded the necessary authority to obtain information and carry out the aforementioned tasks and to enforce corrective actions. Mr. Javier Ruperez, Head of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council of the United Nations during their on-site visit to the Philippines from 18-22 September 2006, commended the development of a National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Program (NCASQCP) and a Quality Control Unit emphasizing the clear separation of its oversight performance monitoring of all security elements for implementation of security measures at all airports. Furthermore, OTS, in its move to abide by ICAO Annex 17 Standard 3.4.3 stating: Each Contracting State shall ensure that the persons carrying out screening operations are certified according to the requirements of the national civil aviation security programme to ensure that performance standards are consistently and reliably achieved, is taking steps for the establishment of the Training Institute. The Institute shall be a venue for training and certification of Security Screening Officers (SSO) for all modes of transport. Competent and effective screeners shall be guided by the principle of uniform, consistent and sustainable performance of their duties and responsibilities. Presently, the CASB has an appointed Bureau Director in the person of PCSupt Rogelio B. Bathan (Ret). And with the OTS-TSR for the Training Institute well on its way, the CASB is well-equipped with a Screener Certification Officer and three (3) AVSEC Instructors, all of whom are ICAO-certified.