Senate Committee on Public Services chairperson Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday expressed strong opposition against the proposal to privatize the operations of the country's communications, navigation, and surveillance air traffic management system (CNS/ATM) through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Tulfo lamented the submission of an “unsolicited proposal” by ComClark Network and Technology Corp. (ComClark) owned by Tech tycoon Dennis Uy, in a bid to take over the operations of the Philippines’ air traffic management system.

According to Tulfo, this development was actually confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which he stressed could cause an alarm to the air traffic management industry. 

“The privatization of CNS/ATM functions poses serious national security risks and exposes us to foreign interference since private companies may be entered into through equity participation by nationalized investors, including big government back corporations in China,” Tulfo emphasized. 

Explaining his objection to the proposal, Tulfo cited a statement made by William Hotchkiss, a retired Philippine Air Force Chief and former CAAP director, who was quoted saying that such a proposal would compromise the operations of the country’s aviation industry. 

“Such proposal would transfer CAAP’s power to monitor and control all flights inside our Flight Information Region (FIR) to a private entity who could have private vested interest,” Tulfo said, quoting Hotchkiss.

Tulfo said Hotchkiss purportedly noted that every country has an FIR where they control the information navigation and alert system, and he stressed that this is “bigger than our maritime zone and territorial land areas combined.”

“This only means that privatization of CNS/ATM is tantamount to giving private companies control of the security over our country’s land and seas,” he added. 

The senator likewise said the privatization proposal might also be subjected to exploitation of syndicates or high profile personalities, such “as former Congressman Arnolfo Teves, dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, and other POGO VIPs have used the means of flights to exit the country.”

“Privatization may just lead to a system that can be much easier to exploit as a way to avoid the country’s justice system,” he further insisted. 

Hence, Tulfo vowed he exhaust all means to stop any attempt to privatize the Philippines’ air traffic system and find ways to improve the country’s traffic system without removing government control.

Tulfo said he will be filing a Senate resolution to investigate the proposed privatization of the country’s CNS/ATM.