THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) raised alarm over the seizure of PHP441 million in cash from 11 individuals at Mactan-Cebu International Airport over the weekend, citing serious concerns about potential election-related offenses such as vote-buying and money laundering.
In a statement released Sunday, the AFP noted the involvement of foreign nationals and warned of the possible interference in the country’s electoral process.
“The presence of multiple foreign nationals raises the troubling possibility of foreign meddling in our sovereign elections,” the AFP said, adding that it fully supports the ongoing investigation.
The cash, discovered in seven trolley bags, was intercepted between 11:30 p.m. on May 9 and 4:14 a.m. on May 10. The group had arrived in a van and allegedly tried to bypass normal airport security. X-ray operator Missy Ayessa Cafe spotted the suspicious luggage and alerted authorities, leading to the discovery of the cash bundles.
The suspects—six Chinese, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, one Kazakhstani, and two Filipinos—failed to produce documents justifying the transport of the funds, which violated Section 28 of Comelec Resolution No. 11104.
The money was bound for Manila via private flight RP-C9968. The AFP urged the public to report any suspicious activity to help ensure fair and peaceful elections.
