PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. didn’t have to be lectured by officials of the Gatwick International Airport in London on how governments should operate an international airport. There is little doubt that, as a well-travelled statesman, he knows the basic management standards for this purpose.
But the President should be reminded that the truly effective way to operate and manage the NAIA is essentially through an iron-clad management unrelenting against corruption and smuggling activities. To improve the operations at the NAIA after its sudden closure on New Year’s Day due to a technical power glitch, the President should have ordered the suspension or dismissal of those responsible for this debacle that affected some 65,000 passengers.
Similarly, the President should come down hard on Immigration and Customs personnel who continue to engage in extortion and thievery, especially against tourists, as well as in the very profitable escort services. Many heads should have rolled due to command responsibility over endless incidents of such criminal practices.
After the Senate Committee on Public Services concluded that there was no sabotage or cyber-attack behind the internationally-humiliating airport stoppage, Sen. Grace Poe, the panel chair, said there was no need to file administrative or criminal charges, even if there were numerous apparent instances of incompetence, neglect and corruption that surfaced during the committee hearings. She referred to them as a confluence of “old underlying issues” at the CAAP for many years.
‘It has been almost four months since the Senate committee ended its probe and no one at the CAAP or at the NAIA has been charged administratively.’
Poe had instead recommended to CAAP to undertake immediate measures to improve its technical capability and to prevent any recurrence of the huge blunder, as well as to file administrative or criminal charges against any of its erring personnel found responsible.
It has been almost four months since the Senate committee ended its probe and no one at the CAAP or at the NAIA has been charged administratively.
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The public should probably not expect much from the new PNP chief, Benjamin Acorda Jr., to rid the national police force of numerous officers involved in drugs. His five-point agenda – personnel morale and welfare, community engagement, integrity enhancement, IT development and honest law-enforcement operations – does not include internal cleansing.
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Senior Pastor Manny Manansala of Live in Victory Ministries (LIV) at the Ortigas Center delivered a powerful message last Sunday on tapping God’s blessings by asking in faith and not in doubt.
Many Christians still ask in doubt and “without any expectation from God because they are unsure of who God is.” But those asking in faith are asking God with “the expectation that they will receive something good because they know that God is good as revealed in His Word, James 1:5-8 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For not let that man suppose he will receive something from the Lord, for he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 7:11 “If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
The common dilemma of many Christians is the inability to trust God for healing of major sicknesses or to believe His Word for divine healing. It is customary for those stricken with diseases to believe the doctors above all, and consign God sadly to the sidelines.
Pastor Manansala explained that the Bible tells us that God is not only good to our souls but also good to our bodies and wants us to be well. “That there are no such things as spiritual healing – our spirits are either dead or alive.” He stressed it is quite clear that Jesus has purchased also our healing in Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Pastor Manansala also made it clear that healing and forgiveness go hand in hand. Psalm 103:2-3 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” Similarly, healing cannot take place if sick people do not forgive for forgiveness and healing also go together. 1 Peter 1:22 – Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
As we know, God never changes and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. James 1 :17-18 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift comes from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
