It depends on what you mean by "swept under the carpet"
do you mean - reported but kept quiet
or do you mean - never reported in the first place.
I'm sorry but what utter rubbish.
Let me get this straight: A 400 hits approach lights, damages the aircraft, the lights and then no body says anything.................you must be bloody kidding.
And if your mate was the FO then he should have put in his own ASR or even a confidential report. What about the Manila authorities? don't you think they would launch an inquiry into who damaged their runway approach lights?
Not to mention the ground engineers who turned around the aircraft.
You are grasping at straws my friend.
Not only that the FDAP reports would have come through as well.
I can believe it may have happened, but for it to have been "swept under the carpet" utter BS.
Not one single rumour went round about this supposed incident.