Poe not yet ready to recommend DOTr, MIAA revamp

Despite the shortcomings in the way theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) handled the runway mishap,  Senator Grace Poe is not yet ready to recommend a revamp of the agencies.

Poe chairs the Senate committee on public services that launched an inquiry into the August 16 incident involving a Xiamen Air plane that skidded off the runway.

After Wednesday’s hearing, the senator blamed the management of both the DOTr and MIAA for the chaos that ensued at the airport after the incident.

READ: Naia chaos brings misery to thousands of passengers

“Alam mo sa ngayon ha syempre kailangan ko din yung approval ng mga kasamahan ko pero marami sa amin ang nakakakita na talagang malaki ang pagkakamali nung management nga airport at ng DOTr (I need the approval of my colleague,s but most of us see the shortcomings of the airport management and the DOTr),” Poe told reporters.

“Sapagkat sa kanila manggagaling kung magkakaroon ng gate changes, kung sino ang mga papasok na flights pero hindi nila yata naabisuhan ng tama ang mga airlines at ang mga airlines naman kung naabisuhan, hindi naman nila napaalam sa kanilang mga pasahero (That is because they manage the gate changes and which flights can come in. They didn’t give the proper advisory to airlines and the airlines weren’t able to inform their passengers),” she said.

Poe added that the runway mishap might have been an accident, but transport and airport officials have failed to follow protocols.

“Pasensya na pero talagang pumalpak ang management ng airport dito (I’m sorry but the airport management really failed here),” Poe said.

Asked then if Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade and MIAA General Manager Eddie Monreal should be replaced, the senator said her committee will still hold another hearing before it can come up with a recommendation.

“Sa ngayon, sa nakikita natin, mayroong mga pagkukulang so mayroon tayong isa pang pagdinig tungkol sa airport expansion (As of now, we can see the shortcomings, so we we will have one more hearing on airport expansion),” she said.

“Tingnan natin pagkatapos ng pagdinig na ito kung ano ba talaga ang magiging pinal na report ng ating komite, kung magrerekomenda tayo na siguro ay nararapat na magkaroon ng pagbabago sa liderato. Pero sa ngayon, hindi ko masasabi with finality sapagkat kailangan ko rin makuha yung opinyon ng mating ga kasama sa komite,” she added.

(Let’s see after the hearing if we can recommend changes in leadershio. But as of now, I can’t say with finality because I also need to get the opinion of my colleauges in the committee.) /ee