Pimentel: Use money for Maharlika fund to compensate passengers affected by NAIA air traffic mess

By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News Published January 5, 2023 3:08pm The government must prove that it has surplus funds by compensating around 60,000 passengers who were affected by the glitch in the air navigation facility on New Year's Day, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Thursday. "Imbes na mag-sovereign wealth fund pa dyan—balak natin bayaran 'yung mga financial manager, mga broker sa commission—ito na lang mga naperwisyo nating 60,000 passengers. Ipakita natin sa kanila na we have the surplus funds for the sovereign wealth fund, itulong natin sa kanila. Lagyan lang natin ng cap," Pimentel said in an interview on Dobol B TV when asked what the government can do to the affected passengers. (Instead of a sovereign wealth fund where we will pay for the financial managers and the brokers in the commission, we should use the funds to pay for the damages to 60,00 passengers. We should prove that we have the surplus funds for the sovereign wealth fund by helping them.) "Ang yabang yabang ng Pilipinas na magso-sovereign wealth fund pa. Marami palang surplus fund, e di unahin na muna itong mga aktwal na naabala natin. Nasaktan kasi nating itong mga ito. Ang tawag diyan damages," he added. (The Philippines is so confident in establishing this sovereign wealth fund. If there are surplus funds, then we should prioritize those who were affected. This is what we call damages.) Although he suggested returning the actual damages to the passengers, Pimentel said the government must set a cap on the proposed compensation. "Lagyan na lang natin ng cap, ng ceiling...Ang ayoko lang is 'yung baka masyadong mataas ang claim. So dapat may maximum [amount]," he said. (We should put a cap or a ceiling. I don't want some individuals to ask for huge amounts of claims.) Meanwhile, Pimentel said someone must be held accountable for the air traffic mess that happened on New Year's Day. "Mukhang may kailangang managot kung ganito ang naapektuhan—60,000 passengers e," he said. (It seems like someone should be held accountable because the incident has affected 60,000 passengers.) "Ang panawagan ay courtesy resignation ng mga colonel and police general tapos wala akong narinig na courtesy resignation ng mga CAAP o transportation officials natin," he quipped. (There is a call for the courtesy resignation of colonels and police generals but nothing for the CAAP or Transportation officials.) For Pimentel, there is "at the very least" sabotage or negligence on the part of the authorities. "May administrative sanctions dapat (Administrative sanctions should be meted out)," he said. At least 282 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed on Sunday, New Year's Day due to the incident, affecting some 56,000 passengers at NAIA. Transportation officials attributed the incident to an "outdated" system. Earlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said airports have returned to their normal operations after the delays and cancellations of flights due to the glitch in the air navigation facility last January 1. At least five Senate resolutions have been filed seeking a probe into the incident. Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate public services committee, said she intends to call for a hearing on January 12. Malacañang said a thorough probe is being done by concerned agencies.—AOL, GMA Integrated News