TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General Manuel Tamayo have admitted that the CNS/ATM (Communications, Navigational and Surveillance System for Air Traffic Management) were outdated. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had funded it to the tune of P10.8 billion and completed its installation in 2018. Puzzling that it broke down after only five years.
Bautista had persuaded Malacanang to remove Jay Art Tugade, son of former DOTr Secretary Art Tugade, from his post as NAIA general manager. The younger Tugade was promptly replaced by Bautista’s protege, Cesar Chiong.
Bautista was apparently not satisfied with Tugade’s ability to effectively supervise the NAIA and would have nothing to do with him. The elder Tugade’s boys still at the DOTr and at the NAIA reportedly could not take this sitting down, triggering speculations the technical glitch was the work of saboteurs.
‘The President should strive to compel his officials to honor delicadeza as a prime commodity in public service.’
The international embarrassment and the subsequent backlash from airline operators and countless travelers caused by the airport shutdown on New Year’s day should be ample reason for Tamayo, Bautista and NAIA General Manager Cesar Chiong to resign. Insider info points to the infestation of politicking and incompetence at the NAIA and CAAP.
CAAP also ignored a Chicago international convention a few years ago on safe and efficient air travel that proposed a major renovation, upgrade and maintenance of the CNS/ATM, along with a huge funding.
At the recent Senate hearing probing the gigantic faux pas, senators were aghast at the reaction of Tamayo who seemed to be in the dark, only saying: “I will look into it, Sir.”
Sen. Francis Tolentino had pressed Tamayo on why CAAP had ignored the offer that also came with a free huge funding. Could your guess be as good as mine? Was the Chicago convention proposal sidelined because it served as a threat to personnel at the NAIA and CAAP, as well as to the various activities by airport officials and politically-connected businessmen and their suppliers?
President Marcos Jr. should ask them to resign immediately. In other Asian countries where honor and reputation are paramount, public officials involved in brouhahas would have committed suicide.
We recall the mayor of Kyoto, Japan killing himself some years ago after the water supply in the city, disabled by a powerful storm, failed to resume as scheduled. Two top company officials in South Korea and Taipei also jumped to their deaths after being charged criminally with fraudulent office transactions.
The President should strive to compel his officials to honor delicadeza as a prime commodity in public service.
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The government should strictly enforce the law against drunken driving, unless officials are waiting for a disastrous incident to happen. Numerous road mishaps have reportedly been caused by drunken drivers. It seems the government continues to ignore the alarming number of fatal motor accidents nationwide due to the huge tax earnings from the sale of liquor.
The unregulated sale of liquor and beer at all groceries and street stores and the heavy drinking that often follow will continue to contribute to the mounting social and tragic costs of drunken driving. Even tricycle drivers have taken to alcohol, with the local police and barangay tanods looking the other way.
