Charles Teves
On Wednesday, May 3, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri proposed that a foreign company should manage the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s operations after a power outage caused flight delays and disrupted passengers.
“I think if they can’t run it efficiently then they should be replaced by competent people. Or even better, why don’t you get an internationally known airport operator to run the airport?” Zubiri made this statement during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum.
He mentioned that if a foreign company takes control of NAIA’s operations–it will not be influenced by political pressure, guaranteeing that the airport operates competently and impartially.
“That is an option if our countrymen cannot do it, the geniuses there, maybe we can give it to someone else,” he said.
“If it means being handled by the Singapore Group of Changi Airport which is the number one airport in the world, let’s give them a chance,” he added.
Netizens called out the senator for not adhering to the Constitution.
Anyare sa SOVEREIGNTY https://t.co/NXG4vOTkg2
— Raquel Fortun (@Doc4Dead) May 4, 2023
Chinese? Masyado kang nahahalata Zubiri, ibig sabihin, tinatanggap mo na INUTIL kayo? https://t.co/uMAa7b1W7Q
— Audburn#FreeLielaDeLimaNow (@56audrey57) May 3, 2023
susmio! pasakop nalang tayo sa US or Japan tutal puro kayo privatization. https://t.co/uRHNaFQqYx
— Acemith Villar (@acemitok) May 4, 2023
You are not pro pinoy. Sin vergüenza! https://t.co/S3qyyYtWe8
— Raul Bejasa (@RLBejasa) May 4, 2023
Crab mentality ang pilipino. Sariling kapw muna ang gugulangan bago iba https://t.co/AGXp97UYrS
— Errol Anthony Respicio (@errolrespi) May 4, 2023
Foreigners? NAIA pero foreigner ang magmanage? Malaking kalokohan! https://t.co/lVoyTk7wLj
— 홀로 (@msezhno) May 3, 2023
By far the stupidest thing he said https://t.co/xzAih0zhhy
— EJ Atienza (@Denkus_Memeus) May 3, 2023
In January, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced his plan to hire a foreign private company to manage NAIA’s traffic.
Recently, during the long Labor Day weekend, numerous flights were delayed or canceled because of an eight-hour-long power outage at NAIA Terminal 3.
The Manila International Airport Authority blamed a faulty circuit breaker for the disruption.
Just four months before, on New Year’s Day, the air traffic management system of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines failed when there was a power outage, resulting in the country’s airspace going offline.
As a result, there have been renewed proposals to privatize NAIA, causing analysts to question whether this move will lead to higher fees.
