Aquino urged to check background of applicants eyeing top-level positions

MANILA, Philippines - An aviation and tourism industry leader urged president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his team to investigate the backgrounds of officials to be appointed to top and second-tier positions.

The call was made by Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies and president of the Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, as he expressed concern over reports that one of the members of Aquino’s “Search Committee” is Makati Business Club executive director Alberto “Bertie” Lim.

Joseph said that Lim’s membership in the committee may lead to the appointment of officials with questionable interests and loyalties.

“If published reports are true that Lim is a member of president-elect Aquino’s Search Committee, then this is alarming and would require the vigilance of well-meaning Filipinos,” Joseph said. He said Aquino should be informed of Lim’s membership of the Freedom to Fly Coalition (FFC) which he recalled had allegedly been unmasked in the Senate a few years back as a lobbyist for foreign aviation interests.

As a member of this group fronting for foreign interests, Joseph said it was not far-fetched for Lim to recommend individuals with a hidden agenda or people belonging to the same crowd and sharing its viewpoints. “This is frigh­tening because if Lim’s recommendees are appointed to high level positions, we do not know what damage they will cause to the country,” he said.

Joseph recalled that Lim was a controversial board member of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) who was allegedly relieved by Malacañang for his supposed questionable actions. Prior to his appointment to the CAB, Lim had reportedly represented the FFC before various government agencies like the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in its lobbying efforts. One of the incorporators and founders of the Freedom to Fly Coalition is former Tourism secretary Narzalina Lim.