Philippine Air Force (PAF) Commander Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura said that one of their personnel has received medical care and is out of danger after being bitten by a snake at Villamor Air Base on Monday.
Members of the PAF were at Villamor Air Base to escort President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who left for India on a five-day state visit.
In an interview, Cordura said the PAF personnel only required a tetanus shot as the snake—a python—was not venomous.
He added that the area is interconnected with other localities, which enables reptiles to cross into Villamor Air Base.
"With the series of rain which makes the environment here in the area damp and really conducive for like a python to be really there, it’s not actually unusual," Cordura said.
The PAF official also noted that it is the first time this happened at Villamor, but snakes are present in the area.
"We have animals like that around the base kasi from Pasay… (the) canals, when we do excavation, we find snakes at the periphery," Cordura explained.
He also assured that the incident is not a cause for concern but will serve as a reminder to keep the area more secure due to the high volume of people passing through.
"It’s a reminder for us to secure it some more especially for facilities that are areas of convergence," he said.