Former Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) deputy director general Daniel Dimagiba deflected blame from the Manila Electric Corporation (MERALCO) for the air traffic mess that caused hundreds of flight delays and cancellations on New Year's Day.
Dimagiba insists that the blame lies on CAAP.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that a problem in the electrical network of the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) System caused the incident that affected at least 288 flights and stranded more than 60,000 passengers.
DOTr said that UPS (uninterruptible power supply), the backup power supply, also failed.
"Hindi problema ng Meralco ang pangyayari. Walang kasalanan ang power supply ng Meralco. Ang may problem ay ang CAAP," Dimagiba said on Monday, January 2, during DZRH's Damdaming Bayan.
(The problem is not with Meralco. The incident cannot be blamed on the power supply of Meralco. The problem lies with CAAP.)
"May protection iyan mga communications system natin. Impossible na mangyari, i-blame nila sa Meralco. Ang problema sa loob ng CAAP. Yung management natin sa CAAP ang may problem," he added.
(Our communication systems have protection. It is impossible to blame Meralco. The problem is within CAAP. The problem is in the management of CAAP.)
Dimagiba said that transformers should have controlled the flow of electricity, and prevented a power surge.
"Kung malakas ang power ng kuryente ng Meralco, pumasok sa CAAP, ma-control iyan ng transformer tapos iyan ang magbibigay supply sa loob ng (Air Traffic System)," Dimagiba explained.
(If the current from Meralco is strong, and it enters CAAP, it will be controlled by the transformer and supply to the Air Traffic System.)
"Kung sakali rin nagkaroon pa rin ng aberya sa UPS, yung NAIA, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, pwedeng sa atin mag-supply. Iyan ang regulation diyan. Mag-supply sila sa CAAP para sa computer, sa system para ma-continue yung operations," he added.
(If there is a problem with the UPS, NAIA, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, could supply (electricity). That is the regulation. The airport will supply (electricity) for the computers, and system, of CAAP to continue operations)
Dimagiba also criticized the DOTr for the issue and said that the agency focused on the Build, Build, Build Program, the mass infrastructure program started during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
He also assailed the DOTr for excluding CAAP, and air navigation experts from the technical working group of the agency.
"Ang inuna kasi ng DOTr puro Build, Build, Build, mga building. Iyon ang inuna nila, mga project. Yung navigation pinabayaan nila. Hindi kami member," the former CAAP executive stressed.
(DOTr prioritized the Build, Build, Build, buildings. They prioritized the projects. They neglected (air navigation). We are not even a member)
"Tinangal talaga ang participation ng experts natin, navigation experts," he added.
(They excluded the participation of our experts, our navigation experts)
