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House panel to probe Xiamen Airlines incident


The House Committee on Transportation is set to conduct its own investigation next month into the Xiamen Airlines plane mishap that caused the temporary closure of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway and inconvenienced airline passengers.

House panel chair Cesar Sarmiento made the confirmation to reporters in a phone interview.

"I have instructed my staff to prepare the notice for a hearing scheduled on September 5," he  said.

In particular, Sarmiento said the committee will look into the capability of airport authorities to respond to emergency situations and accidents like what happened at NAIA recently.

"We don't want that to happen anymore. These are the things that we would like to ask our airport authorities. What must be done?" he said.

"'Yung dagliang action ang napakaimportante. So these are the things na napuna natin: Ang kakulangan ng airport authorities na nagbigay ng perwisyo sa atin," he added.

The plane, which was carrying Xiamen Air Flight MF8667, skidded off the runway of the NAIA late Thursday evening last week due to the rains.

The plane was lifted from the runway around 2 a.m. on Saturday and transferred to the remote parking bay of Balabag Aviation Complex.

The NAIA runway was reopened before noon on Saturday, almost 36 hours after the incident.

Around 150 flights have been canceled due the incident, while others were diverted to the Clark International Airport.

Among the officials who will be invited during the hearing include officials of the Manila International Airport Authority and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and other concerned individuals and agencies, Sarmiento said.

He said the panel may also look at the possible liabilities that officials who will be found responsible for the incident could face.

"We will go along that way, kung ano ang mga liabilities at responsibilities na hindi nagampanan ng airport authorities or officials na nag-cause ng damage sa atin," he said.

Senator Grace Poe on Sunday said she will file a resolution at the Senate seeking an investigation into the incident.

In a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview on Sunday, Sarmiento stressed the need for an airport outside Metro Manila to decongest the NAIA and ease the traffic flow going to and from there.

He said during the phone interview on Monday that while the proposed budget for the aviation sector for 2019 has increased, "very limited" projects will be funded.

"When it comes to airports, I think they have identified five airports to be funded," he said.

The DOTr, he said, reported that they submitted airport projects for funding amounting to P6 billion, but it was reduced to P1.6 billion when the National Expenditure Program came out.

Sarmiento said Malabon City Representative Federico Sandoval II is set to defend the DOTr's budget in the plenary. —KG, GMA News

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