Senator Raffy Tulfo has expressed concern over the lack of anti-drone technology at airports and other critical government establishments in the country.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services Capt. Ian Michael del Castillo from the Flight Operations Department of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) admitted that they still do not implement counter-drone measures in the country because the subscription for it is high cost.

"Posibleng maging seryosong banta ito sa ating national security lalo pa’t malaya ang sinuman na makabili at makapagpalipad ng drones sa Pilipinas dahil na rin sa maluwag na regulasyon (This could pose a serious threat to our national security, especially since anyone is free to buy and operate drones in the Philippines due to the lax regulations)," he said.

"Maaaring magamit sa terorismo ang drones dahil pwede itong kargahan ng high explosive bombs at ibangga sa mga eroplano o dili kaya ay ibagsak sa matataong lugar. Gayundin ang posibilidad na magamit ang drones para puntiryahin ang mga kampo o vital military installations ng AFP at PNP (Drones can be used for terrorism because they can be loaded with high-explosive bombs and crashed into airplanes or dropped in crowded areas. There is also the possibility of using drones to target camps or vital military installations of the AFP and PNP)," he added.There is also the possibility of using drones to target camps or vital military installations of the AFP

According to Castillo, CAAP has no expertise in such matters and that they are only for civil aviation, adding that they are still studying the acquisition of an anti-drone technology solution that they say will cost $1M USD for subscription or approximately ₱58M per month.

Tulfo expressed dismay because it appears that CAAP lacked the initiative to find other means to protect the lives of millions of passengers and civilians who may be affected when drones fall into the wrong hands.

Billy Pascua, an expert in anti-drone solutions, meanwhile, countered Castillo's statement and said that there is still a cheap and effective way to have anti-drone measures in airports such as the use of highly trained birds that are trained to chase and shoot down drones.

Tulfo agreed with Pascua, saying that based on his research, the Netherlands and France are already using eagles. Pascua likewise added that such a low-cost approach is also being used at airports in Ireland.

As such, Tulfo urged CAAP to study the possibility of obliging commercial airline companies to contribute to subsidizing the acquisition of the anti-drone solution because their planes are also intended to be protected by it.

He promised that he would focus on CAAP's action until it has a concrete solution to implement effective counter-drone measures and adopt regulations for the responsible use of drones in the country.