Outage outrage: Enrile wants all airport execs fired

by Helen Flores Philstar.com

MANILA — President Marcos should fire all airport officials following another embarrassing power outage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Friday, June 9, according to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

In his television program on Saturday, June 10, Enrile said the presiden should no longer accept the apology of airport officials and replace them with those who are “more sensitive” to the plight of the people.

“The apology should not be accepted. Fire all of them and replace them with people more sensitive to their reputation and sensitive to their job and sensitive to the plight of the public. We give them jobs to support their families but they have to protect it by working their ass if necessary,” Enrile said.

“When you enter public service, you must swear that you will faithfully discharge your duties, the powers of the position that you are given and all others that you will get or receive in the government. You should not be sleeping on the job,” Enrile, speaking partly in Filipino, added.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) apologized to the public following Friday’s power outage at the NAIA Terminal 3, which is the fourth such incident since last September.

A Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines statement said the power outage lasted from 12:52 p.m. to 1:28 p.m. and that no flight was canceled as a result of it. However, seven flights were delayed.

The incidents also caused long lines at the immigration counters, CAAP spokesnan Eric Apolonio said.

Following the power outage in September, an air traffic system failure also disrupted operations at the NAIA on Jan. 1, affecting over 56,000 passengers and more than 300 inbound and outbound flights.

On May 1, over 40 flights at the NAIA Terminal 3 were canceled and delayed as the terminal experienced another power outage.

Be extra early

Meanwhile, the Bureau of

Immigration (BI) has issued a reminder to departing travelers from NAIA recently, urging them to check in early to prevent delays as a surge in passenger traffic is expected this month.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco underscored the importance of passengers checking in at least three hours before their flight and proceeding directly for immigration inspection.

“There is an expected increase in the number of passengers this month as more and more people are traveling post-COVID and apart from this, the eventual transfer of passengers from NAIA Terminal 2 to other terminals will definitely add to the bulk of travelers,” Tansingco said. Each immigration officer is processing approximately 247 passengers during a 10-hour shift.

“Unlike airports in other countries, our current facilities are more limited,” said Tansingco. “Hence, we are thankful to airport authorities for their commitment to increase the space at the immigration area for us to be able to deploy more passengers.” g

Beyond independence

AS the country celebrated the 125th anniversary of the declaration of independence on June 12, millions of Filipinos suffering from under-education and weak literacy are unaware of the event or its significance. Jose Rizal, a staunch advocate of education, would have been disheartened by the current sad state of Philippine education.

The founding fathers would also be dismayed that on the 125th anniversary of Independence Day, a large segment of the population still needs liberation from several of the same major problems that fueled the Philippine revolution over a century ago: poverty, hunger and injustice.

Editorial

empower more Filipinos to get out of poverty, and stay out. Cash handouts to the poor, even if conditional, can be unsustainable especially for a government that supposedly faces fiscal collapse unless certain reforms are undertaken.

While the nation is no longer under colonial rule, the Philippines has yet to achieve credible defense capability against external threats. No country is an island and the world has become interconnected and economies interdependent.

The Philippines can forge strategic security alliances with other states. But countries appreciate allies that make an effort to strengthen their self-defense capability. This is something that the Philippines must pursue, especially as it deals with growing external security issues.

At the same time, greater effort is needed to create an enabling environment that will

Babe’s Eye View

WE celebrated the 125th year of Philippine Independence in Washington, D.C. with a record crowd composed of business people, colleagues from the diplomatic circle, members of the Filipino-American community and officials from the U.S. government, with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as our guest of honor.

The upbeat atmosphere reflected the vibrant and dynamic relationship between the Philippines and the United States which, if I may say so, is at the best it’s ever been. While relations with our close and only defense ally have been at times complicated, the ties that bind our two nations have remained solid over the decades. As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. accurately stated – our relationship with the United States is an evolving one that will continue to strengthen through more robust economic and people-to-people ties. There is no doubt the deepening bilateral ties between the U.S. and the Philippines as well as our good relations with like-minded nations have put us under the radar of American companies that now see the Philippines as a safe investment choice.

Less than a year into President Marcos Jr.’s presidency, investments coming from the

The education system, although mandatory and free from kindergarten to college, is seriously in need of fixing. The sorry state of education is affecting all aspects of life, from economic growth to the quality of governance and the way people pick candidates in elections. National competitiveness has suffered and the Philippines’ standing in the region has slipped in most of the human development indicators.

Celebrating the 125th Independence Day should include a sincere commitment to make life better for all, and not just for the miniscule segment of the population that controls money and power in this country. (Philstar.com)