To charge or not, DOTC to study idea

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) promised to study the idea of creating a committee at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) that would decide immediately if people caught with bullets need to face charges or not.

The decision would not take long, so that those who would not be charged could fly immediately and need not be detained at the airport, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said Thursday at the Senate hearing on the alleged “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) scheme at Naia.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya was given one week to study the matter and to report back to the Senate on his decision.

Guingona said the role of the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) general manager could be restudied as one of the longterm changes that could be done.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. questioned Miaa General Manager Jose Angel Honrado about his statement that he had no control over other agencies operating in the airport, including the Office for Transportation Security and the Aviation Security Group.

Honrado said his job was just to coordinate with the agencies.

“If you have no control over the agencies at the airport, what’s your job? How can you coordinate without control? You cannot coordinate without command and control,” Marcos said.

Honrado said the main job of the general manager was to ensure the smooth flow at the airport.

He also said he was a member of the airport security council, which coordinates with other agencies.

The council was last convened during the first week of October.

Abaya admitted that the government has had lapses in the bullet-planting scheme, said he could write a letter vouching for Gloria Ortinez. She could present the letter to her employer, he said.

“I do agree I could write a letter right now, craft it, she could bring it with her. I could personally make a call to her [employer if I could get the number,” he said.

He acknowledged that the government was not blameless.

“Obviously, there are certain lapses, shortcomings of the government. Whatever Nanay Gloria would request me to do, I’d do,” he added. Leila B. Salaverria