Government authorities are now conducting a probe over the Xiamen Airlines pilot for the stalled airplane , which caused excessive flight delays at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Malacañang announced on Monday, August 20.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. in a Palace press briefing said the government is now investigating the incident to determine if there is any liability on the part of the Xiamen pilot, who was asked not to leave the country pending probe.
“Tingin ko, it’s more than just apology because we’re now investigating if there’s any kind of liability that we can attribute to the pilot,” Roque stressed.
The Cabinet official is referring to the possible filing of administrative, civil and /or criminal charges against the pilot, should he be found liable.
The Palace official then acknowledged the apology offered by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to airline passengers who were inconvenienced by the delayed flights.
“Siguro naman po that counts for something, that no less than the Secretary of Transportation has publicly apologized for the inconvenience caused to the public,” Roque said.
“Hindi naman po nangyayari itong madalas sa NAIA… So we could always learn from this experience,” he added, noting that better contingencies should be put in place by airport authorities in the future.
Meanwhile, the President’s spokesperson assured the public that improvements in the country’s airports are well underway.
“Ang mabuting balita po sa mga kababayan natin, magkakaroon na po tayo ng solusyon,” he said, as he cited the government’s short-, medium-, and long-term plans to upgrade airport services for Philippine passengers.
For one, he said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has already endorsed the upgrading of NAIA Terminals 1, 2, and 3, which would include the construction of additional runways and terminal buildings.
Furthermore, Roque said improvements in the Clark International Airport are also in full blast while approvals have been made for the proposed Bulacan airport project, apart from the finalization of some documents.
‘Palace thanks Maza for service, Reiterates stand on peace talks with Reds’
During the same press briefing, Malacañang extended its gratitude to National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Liza Maza for her invaluable services to the government for the past two years.
Secretary Roque expressed the Palace’s regret with Maza’s decision to resign from her post. “We always regret when people who enjoy the trust and confidence of the President leave their post.
But I’m sure there will be other applicants for the post,” he said.
Roque said Maza’s position as NAPC chairperson could have been a perfect opportunity for left-leaning Cabinet officials like her to show that they can lead and create a positive impact in the government’s fight against poverty.
On the other hand, contrary to what Maza stated in her resignation, Roque said peace talks with leftist groups would resume on the local level.
He also reiterated the administration’s stand that peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) would only continue if the conditions set by the President are met.
“Again, we maintain that the President will only have peace talks with the Communists if it is in the Philippines, if they will stop collection of revolutionary taxes, if they will momentarily – while peace talks are ongoing – commit themselves to refrain from resuming the insurgency and will stay in a designated camp where President Duterte has promised that he will provide for their provisions during the pendency of the peace talks,” Roque stressed. (PCO-Content)
