Jinggoy wants to probe DOTC's P4B contract for air traffic control system

Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said he will file a resolution seeking an investigation into the P4-billion contract awarded by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to a foreign consortium for the improvement of the country’s air traffic control system. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Estrada said the public should know if "due diligence" was exercised by the DOTC when it awarded a P4-billion contract to the Sumitomo company of Japan and the Thales Group of France. “There is more to this deal than meets the eye. There is a need to remove all doubts and clear the air of suspicion about this deal because not only billions in taxpayers’ money are involved here but also innocent lives," he said. He alleged that Thales, a global electronics company mainly catering to the aerospace, defense and security markets, has a “trail of bad records" over the years, including "failed" products that cost lives and bribery allegations. He said the European Aviation Safety Agency had decided to ban the use of Thales' speed censors after authorities ruled it was the reason for the crash of an Air France Airbus A330 in the Atlantic in 2009, where all 288 passengers on board were killed. “Then there is an article from the AFX news wire service in 2005 stating that the French police raided Thales’ headquarters that December after one of its own officials accused the company of ‘organising a centralised slush fund to bribe and corrupt officials to win contracts,’" he said. Estrada likewise cited a report that the Commission on Audit (COA) had recommended that Thales be banned from doing business with the goverment after it reneged to deliver P1 billion worth of 19 global marine distress safety systems meant to improve the safety of sea travel in the country. “Against such known facts, why did the DOTC, even under the new administration, seen it fit to turn a blind eye on this company’s performance and continue awarding it with fat contracts," he said. Estrada said Thales would be the technology partner of Sumitomo for the installation of a modern communication, navigation surveillance, and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system at the country’s international airport. Just like the controversial national broadband network project in 2007, the CNS/ATM project would be financed thru a Y9 billion loan package (roughly P4 billion) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). “I wonder if indeed, as Sec. Ping de Jesus claimed, he has thoroughly investigated the record of Thales or if he has taken into consideration the lessons learned from the NBN scandal before agreeing to award the contract to this company," said Estrada. - VVP, GMANews.TV