CAAP chief told to inhibit from probe

Senator Grace Poe on Sunday said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo should inhibit from their internal investigation into the Ninoy Aquino International Airport air traffic fiasco.

In a radio interview, Poe, who leads the investigation of the Senate Committee on Public Service into the technical glitch that paralyzed the country’s airspace last 1 January, stressed that Tamayo should not be part of the investigation to ensure impartial scrutiny of the incident.

“CAAP cannot be investigating itself. I hope an independent body will be formed to look into the incident and definitely, Captain Tamayo cannot sit there and all those under him,” she said.

“I fully trust (Department of Transportation) Secretary Jaime Bautista, he has been in the private sector for so long, he is respected. Maybe he can tap someone who can really investigate without biases,” she added.

The senator suggested tapping former CAAP director general William Hotchkiss and a representative from the country’s association of civil aviation engineers to be included in the independent body that will look into the air traffic fiasco.

The CAAP had earlier bared that it has launched an internal investigation into the New Year’s Day technical glitch at the NAIA that canceled flights and stranded thousands of passengers.

Asked if the CAAP head should resign or take a leave, Poe said that the fate of Tamayo is up to the DOTr chief.

“But maybe we should assign someone great for CAAP while the investigation is ongoing,” she said.

Last Thursday, the Senate public services committee, also chaired by Poe, held an inquiry into the incident.