Ejercito nixes privatization plan

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Tuesday opposed the proposal to privatize the country’s main gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, saying it will bring no good to the general population.

“NAIA privatization will not be good at all. That will not happen. We should already learn from our mistakes of the past,” he said.

Citing several former assets of the government that are now controlled and owned by private sectors, the senator stressed that vital utilities should be controlled by the government.

“We’ve had many vital utilities that were privatized like the Napocor (National Power Corp.) plants, NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines), National Steel Corporation, (and) Fort Bonifacio,” he added.

“What was its benefit to the country? Vital utilities should be controlled by the government.”

Ejercito said the technical glitch at the NAIA should serve as an eye-opener to the proposal to sell the country’s main airport.

“What if the NGCP will be shut down, especially since (a) China corporation may now have control? Our whole economy will be paralyzed,” he said, referring to the country’s power grid operator, which is currently co-owned by the State Grid Corporation of China.

Instead of pushing for the privatization of the NAIA, Ejercito said the government should find ways to bring back the vital industries and utilities under its control.

He issued the remarks after several Cabinet members, including Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno have expressed their support for the plans to privatize NAIA.