Unravelling the facts

Until credible results of the investigation into the Air Philippines crash in Davao are out, speculations will continue to surface and abound on the probable cause of the tragedy. For instance, Jon Canastra of Cebu City, who seems to be an expert on aircraft, sent a seemingly credible explanation as to what could have happened.

According to Canastra, there was a lapse and miscalculation by air traffic control on the traffic separation between the PAL Airbus and Air Philippines' B-737 that led to a "misapproach" by the B-737. To advise a heavy jet aircraft on final approach to "Go Around Again" is a grave mistake in air traffic control, Canastra said.

"At this stage, the aircraft is configured to land at a speed of about 161 mph, landing gears down and locked, flaps extended to about 40 degrees, and a gross weight of about 66,500 kgs. To go around again means give back a full throttle to the engines. This will strain the aircraft and the pilot as well. It will take several seconds, even minutes, for the aircraft to react, hence cannot gain altitude immediately," Canastra explained.

"Gunning the engines to full power might have caused the sound that observers described as midair explosion. I assume that Capt. Nonie Catipay knew the impending disaster, but he opted to execute the misapproach to avoid hitting the PAL Airbus on the runway. Death would have been doubled or tripled had he continued to land. With this assumption, I consider Capt. Catipay a hero," Canastra added.

The Philippine government, through the Philippine Tourism Authority, has a jewel in Palo, Leyte, right at the historic spot where American forces led by General Douglas MacArthur made their landing at Leyte Gulf. The prized possession is the MacArthur Park Beach Resort which, properly developed and adequately equipped with needed infrastructure, can be a major tourist destination.

Caressed all day long by a gentle breeze from the azure-blue sea, the MacArthur Park Beach Resort is a dreamer's idyllic place. Not only does the resort have a majestic view of sand, sea and sky; it also has a service crew whose hospitality and friendship are valuable assets in the tourism industry. Resident manager Maria Elena Go, frontliners Michael Mendoza, Joselito Dycoco, Jane Quimsing, Raul Daaco, Joel Salamar, Manuel de la Paz, Edgar Diaz, Joel Salazar, and everybody else are human resources that the PTA leadership must protect and value.

During my brief stay at MacArthur Park Beach Resort during Holy Week, a time which I hoped would be spent incognito, I bumped into interesting people who chatted with me: Bureau of Customs official Annie Acebedo Baleva, who will be the hermana mayor in the August 6 town fiesta of Palo, Leyte; Alison Juan Borromeo, a veteran and stalwart in the tourism business; pineapple king Sabin Larrazabal of Ormoc, Leyte; Chief Prosecutor Golong of Tacloban City; Kit Roxas of Club Adventure; DPWH Engr. Pascualito Fiel Jr., among others.

The regional officials of the Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas, led by their boss Cirilo R. Balapago Jr. who signed his name with the letters "Ph.D" appended to his family name, sent what looked like a manifesto, saying that they and their boss, Secretary Edgardo Angara, were "unjustly maligned" by my article about the "barnacles and slowpoke" at the DA regional office at Region 8. How Ed Angara got maligned, as claimed by the manifesto writers, was not specifically explained.

Those who signed the letter must have gone through pangs of conscience. They must have realized that they are the "barnacles and slowpoke" adverted to in my column. Which explains why they immediately howled, but without explaining why funds allocated to them, for project implementation, were reverted to the national treasury. If appropriated funds are not spent, that means that projects were not implemented. Claro?

Instead of spending precious time preparing the manifesto and asking every regional official to sign, the signatories should have attended to their official functions. For that is what I and other taxpayers are paying them for. And they should have taken steps to explain why appropriated funds were not utilized. And finally, they should have made a commitment to Ed Angara that henceforth, they will be dynamic and determined to do a good job. Otherwise, the perception will linger that they are barnacles and slowpoke.

I am usually wary of public officials who always put the letters "Ph.D." after their printed names. My perception is that they have an inferiority complex. The practice reeks of egotism, an amusing attempt to appear bigger than what they really are. Yes, the letters "Ph.D." do not intimidate. On the contrary, they betray how puny some people are, in their vain attempt to impress. Mga kawawang kaluluwa. Now, will Director Balapago, Ph.D., please convince Ed Angara that he and his people are models of excellence?

Here are excerpts from letters I received during the past several days:

Atty. POMPEYO ROA REALUYO, New York, USA: "I was particularly moved by the story of that dying boy attributable to the toxic contaminants left by my adopted country, good ol' USA. As an old practicing lawyer here, there might be grounds for a class action suit against the chemical companies and the US government for leaving those toxic wastes."

BETTY LOPEZ, Woodlands, Singapore: "My husband has been working in Singapore for the last five years. A week ago, we went to the Philippine Embassy to renew our passports. We met some problems that wasted a lot of energy on both our and the embassy's side. An unsmiling lady staff member refused to talk to us and explain why our passports could not be renewed. Aren't we entitled to at least some decent courtesy from our own countrymen who are based at our embassies? Why can't they post someone who is good in people-handling, someone who would listen and smilingly explain procedures, problems, and help ease our homesickness, rather than remind us of the same inadequacies, red tape and finger-pointing in our government offices?"

Dr. ZEN UDANI, 173 Alfonso XIII, San Juan, Metro Manila: "Conscientious citizens hope for a judicious use of taxpayers' money. They do not want their taxes wasted on salaries of corrupt officials and employees, on vices, on population control activities that destroy the family, on immorality, and on projects that are mere propaganda. Society deserves the best service from its elected officials and public servants."

Art A. Borjal's e-mail address <[email protected]>