Scapegoat strategy?

It is difficult to make heads or tails out of the Smokey Mountain issue which apparently is now a full-blown controversy. Based on what has been written in media, it appears the explanation for the mess is that the Palace was sent by the National Housing Authority (NHA) an unsigned draft agreement for the settlement of a government row with the private sector proponent of the Smokey Mountain development project.

 The official who reportedly asked for the release of some P4.4 billion to settle the claim was NHA general manager Federico Laxa.

 Former Vice President Noli De Castro and former Finance Secretary Gary Teves are now the object of graft charges supposedly for their “indispensable participation” in the formulation of the terms and conditions contained in the draft agreement. Laxa is included in the suit. And so is HGC president Gonzalo Benjamin Bongolan, Jr.

 News reports say it was NHA’s Laxa who asked for the release of the P4.4 billion. But by most indications, the blame may eventually end up with HGC president Bongolan.

 One indication is the apparent immediate reaction to accuse Bongolan of “leaking” the submission of the unsigned draft agreement to the Palace. This should alert Bongolan and his HGC associates that there appears to be a scapegoat strategy being hatched and that he and his agency may have been the designated scapegoat.

But the architect of the scapegoat strategy better be advised that the tactic is not foolproof. If the intention is to paint the HGC as having connived with the private sector group to try to put one over the government, then they better think again.

 If we recall correctly, Bongolan and his agency has been looked at with “displeasure” by the stakeholders in the Smokey Mountain project. The reason is that Bongolan has been viewed as “adamant” and “hesitant” and therefore not of much help in the consummation of a settlement deal.

 Also, if we recall correctly, Bongolan was either threatened with a suit or had actually been charged in court by a major stakeholder in this controversy for that perceived “adamant stance”.

 In other words, Bongolan may have been a persona non grata in the scheme of things.

Which is why he may not qualify as a convenient scapegoat if the plan is to portray him as trying to put one over the housing sector.

 The problem with assigning that role to Bongolan is that the self-effacing HGC head has established a good reputation in the financial community. It will take a lot of orchestrated media campaigns to convince that community that Bongolan is capable of cooking up an attempt to sneak in a last-minute deal or to torpedo that deal by doing a “leak”.

 We suggest that the housing sector look elsewhere for the culprit. By looking within their own ranks for the perpetrator, they may be hunting on wrong grounds. They should keep in mind that the proponents have more than enough powerful enemies in the business community. These interests would definitely not want their competitor to bag a settlement deal that would refurbish the latter’s financial and business war chest.

At the end of the day, housing officials should just go out of their way to enlighten the public on the issues surrounding the Smokey Mountain Project and the events that led to the present controversy.

 If the facts are explained properly, the powerful interests who seem to be after Bongolan’s neck may no longer find a need for a scapegoat.

An urgent problem

If there is one thing which newly appointed transportation secretary Ping de Jesus should address immediately, it is the replacement of the defective navigational equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Last Wednesday, it was reported that as many as seven international and 17 domestic flights had been diverted from NAIA to other airports including those in Clark, Mactan and Iloilo due to heavy rains while one flight from Beijing was cancelled.

Yesterday morning, another 30 flights, both international and domestic, had to be diverted agaian.

And with the onset of the rainy season, expect more of these diversions and cancellations to occur, unless government acts fast and acquires a new very high frequency (VHF) omni-directional range (VOR) navigational equipment.

With this equipment breaking down, it becomes difficult and dangerous for aircraft to land and take-off during nighttime or when visibility is poor due to fog or rain.

In the absence of the VOR, the NAIA relies mainly on its radar, which guides aircraft up to the runway’s end, from where pilots rely partly on their vision. But when the weather is bad, radar assistance is not as effective as information provided by the VOR. And when the pilot is not able to see the runway, worst-case scenario is, the aircraft has to land somewhere else.

According to NAIA general manager Melvin Matibag, of the VOR’s 50 parts, only two remain to be fixed and will soon be calibrated and tested so that the 14-year-old equipment could be used again as soon as possible.

But with a VOR’s normal lifespan at 15 years, frequent conking out is to be expected. And it is only now that airport authorities are shopping for a new VOR, which is estimated to cost P120 million.

Some people fear that with this emergency purchase, bidding may have to be dispensed with and therefore, another questionable purchase may have to be made. Even President Noynoy appeared irked with the idea of this last-minute purchase.

But finger-pointing will do us no good. Do we have to wait for disaster to strike before something is done?

It’s good that we have very efficient airports such as the one in Clark that could address these flight diversions.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president Victor Jose Luciano has done and continues to do a very good job at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

Not only does the DMIA have a working VOR. In 2007, it activated a terminal radar approach control (Tracon) system worth $9.3 million which can track aircraft in a radius pattern up to 220 nautical miles from the airport. This system adds significant safety advantages, speeds-up arrivals and departures, and ensures a greater level of airline pilots’ confidence.

In addition to the Tracon system, various state-of-the-art electronic communication, radar, navigation, approach lighting, and fire/safety systems have been implemented at the DMIA. These systems include an Instrument Landing System (ILS) Doppler, VHF/UHF Transmitters, modern meteorological equipment, Precision Approach Path Indicator, Airfield Ground Lighting Systems (AGLS), and an advanced Category 9 Crash, Fire and Rescue Equipment system

In 2009, it was reported that DMIA handled around 600,000 passengers, from only 7,880 six years ago, using only one terminal. Once a second terminal is constructed, capacity will increase to as much as seven million. There are reports that Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) may partner for the construction of the second terminal. A planned terminal 3 will bring capacity up to 80 million passengers a year.

For comments, e-mail at [email protected]