THE New Year’s Day Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) airspace collapse should be probed by an independent body, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday as she questioned why the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) was tasked to lead the government investigation.
Poe, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services which is investigating the January 1 airport fiasco, said she found it odd that CAAP was the primary government agency tasked to investigate the incident when it was its Air Traffic Management Control that conked out and caused the technical glitch that led to the cancellation, delay or diversion of hundreds of NAIA flights and affected more than 65,000 passengers.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Poe said President Marcos Jr. should instead order the creation of an impartial body to determine the real cause of the NAIA technical glitch incident and exclude CAAP director general Manuel Tamayo and other officials under him to sit as panel members to ensure fairness.
“CAAP cannot be investigating itself. I hope an independent body will be formed to look into the incident and definitely, Captain Tamayo cannot sit there and all those under him,” Poe said in a radio interview Sunday.
“Dito, ang nag-iimbestiga sa sarili nila ay CAAP rin (In this case, the one investigating the CAAP is also CAAP),” she noted, adding: “(But) CAAP cannot be investigating itself. Siguro habang may imbestigasyon, hindi muna dapat maupo sa panel ng mga nag-iimbestiga ang CAAP head na si Mr. Tamayo at kung sino pa ang mga nasa ilalim niya.
Pinagkakatiwalaan ko si (Department of Transportation) Secretary Jaime Bautista, matagal na sya sa private sector, iginagalang. Siguro, pwedeng magtalaga ng pwedeng mag-imbestiga na walang kinikilingan (It will be better if Tamayo and the other officials under him are not allowed to sit as investigators. I trust Secretary Jaime Bautista, he is well respected in the private sector, maybe he can assign someone impartial who can conduct the probe).”
The senator said former CAAP director general William Hotchkiss and a representative from the country’s association of civil aviation engineers could be included in the independent body that will look into the air traffic fiasco.
REPLACE TAMAYO
Poe suggested that Tamayo be temporarily relieved or replaced while the investigation into the NAIA airspace collapse is still ongoing.
“Hindi namin siya mapipilit na mag-resign, ‘yan ay isang appointed position hindi ba? Pero maaari sigurong magtalaga muna ng iba na talagang magaling magpalakad ng CAAP habang iniimbestigahan natin ito (We cannot force him to resign because he is in an appointed position. But the executive can probably appoint someone who can best run CAAP while we are investigating the case),” Poe said.
She said Bautista can replicate what Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos did, which was to direct all police officials to file their courtesy resignations to cleanse the PNP ranks of narco cops, or those involved in the illegal drugs use and trading industry.
CAAP LAPSES
Poe said that during last Thursday’s committee hearing into the NAIA mess, it was established that CAAP needs a durable voltage regulation for its air navigation equipment to ensure that it does not fail to operate in times of a power failure or surge.
CAAP’s equipment likewise should have a periodic manufacturers’ check-up and assessment, she said, noting that the last maintenance check was done in 2019. She proposed that the agency tap the services of Thales and Sumitomo, the suppliers of the navigational equipment, since the companies know very well their own technology.
She added that while negotiations are underway for the payment of past CAAP dues to the maintenance providers, a new agreement for the purpose should be forged and enforced.
Poe said the agency can ask Congress for additional funds, through a supplemental budget, for software updates of its equipment and to settle its unpaid obligations.
At the same time, CAAP urged CAAP to retain a portion of the landing fees that it collects and not remit 100 percent of its earnings to the national government. Records show that the agency has been earning an estimated P2 billion a year.
“Magmula raw 2016 yung pera na ‘yan binibigay na nila sa gobyerno. So, sabi ko kay Capt. Tamayo, bakit mo pinapa-remit ‘yan? Nung panahon ni Gen. Hotchkiss nagawa naman niyang ipaliwanag na ito ay dapat pera ng CAAP para ang pangangailangan ng CAAP ay makuha nila doon sa pera na ‘yun (CAAP has been remitting the money to the government since 2016. I asked Capt. Tamayo why he allowed this to happen, when during the term of 0Gen. Hotchkiss, CAAP earnings were used by the agency in times of need),” she said.
Poe said she will schedule another committee hearing but has yet to set a date as she plans to call for an executive session so that matters or issues not freely discussed during the first hearing can be tackled.
