Dog day afternoon for White House K-9

MANILA, Philippines—The final security check at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) before US President Barack Obama left Manila was delayed by a few minutes because of a tired-looking and apparently stressed out canine unit from the US Secret Service.

Media people who covered Obama’s departure gathered at Naia Terminal 3 around 8:45 a.m. and were brought by bus to the Naia Balabag ramp, where Air Force One was parked. The morning was windy and not so hot compared with the previous day.

Again, media people were asked by a member of the US Secret Service to line up, put their gear on the ground and step away, as a bomb-sniffing dog went over the bags and gadgets one by one.

However, after sniffing about half a dozen piles of journalists’ stuff, the dog refused to go on despite the repeated urgings of its handler, who wore sunglasses but no expression on his face.

The black-coated dog with the weary eyes, which resembled a Labrador Retriever, was panting, probably because of the heat.

Heat or jet lag

“Maybe it still has jet lag,” one photographer joked, pointing out that the canine probably came all the way from the United States. Other media people said the dog was probably tired because of the heat or stressed due to the loud noise from the Air Force One engine.

After Marine One landed, a jet of wind from the aircraft lifted the red carpet, which was promptly held back by the Philippine Air Force honor guard who had just arrived.

“It’s a good thing our soldiers are already there. If not, the carpet would have probably been carried away [by the wind] to Taguig,” a government official said.

Wave

A few minutes before Obama stepped out of the Marine chopper, another government official who noticed bits of dried grass on the carpet called for a couple of sweepers to quickly remove them—they did so in about 30 seconds.

After cameramen and photographers ascended the raised platform at the press area to set up their equipment, some asked each other what should be done to make Obama “wave more and wave longer.”

Mediamen who covered the US President’s arrival the other day recalled that he waved only twice and hurried from Air Force One to the Marine One chopper.

“Maybe [we] should also wave back at him, then he’ll probably wave at you longer,” suggested a government media coordinator.

Attentive to media needs

Thus, when Obama disembarked from Marine One and began walking to Air Force One, mediamen waved at him, some even cheering him up. Obama looked toward the press cordon and waved back smiling, giving cameramen and photographers good shots.

US Embassy and Manila International Airport Authority coordinators were also attentive to the media people’s needs. Amid the heat from the midday sun and the tarmac, one female coordinator gave advance notice that Obama would be leaving about 30 minutes ahead of his original schedule.

“This means we’ll be able to finish early and get away from this heat,” she said, smiling. She was later seen taking out a bottle of sunblock and spraying its contents on her arms.

Strong jet blast

Another American coordinator, who identified herself as Stephanie, warned media people that they would experience a strong jet blast from Air Force One when it turns around and prepare to taxi along the runway.

“If I were you, I’d be ducking behind [the media platform]. The blast [of wind] is really strong,” she said.

Many media persons, however, apparently failed to remember her advice because most of them did not leave the press area even after Obama had already boarded Air Force One. At that time, members of the Presidential Security Group and Secret Service were already starting to move away from the plane.

Fortunately, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, who saw off Obama at the airport, allowed themselves to be interviewed by the media. The newsmen rushed from the press area to follow the two officials to the edge of the tarmac—thus escaping the jet blast.

Minutes later, the strong blast of hot wind from Air Force One, accompanied by dust, did blow in all directions. Some media people who were still on the tarmac were seen barely able to stand up. One of them later compared the wind to that of a typhoon.

A makeshift tent that served as a waiting area for media persons had to be held by three ground crew because the jet blast threatened to blow it away.

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