Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, July 7 thumbed down proposals to rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as the terminal was named after a democracy icon to remind the Filipinos of the 1986 People Power Revolution.
“Hindi na kailangang palitan ang pangalan ng NAIA (There is no need to change the name of NAIA),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Hindi dapat burahin ang mga pamana at paalala sa atin ng People Power. Isinabatas na NAIA ang magiging pangalan ng airport bilang paalala sa buong mundo sa kabayanihan ni Ninoy Aquino at ng lahat ng mga Pilipino noong panahon ng (We should not remove the legacy and our reminder of the People Power. The law naming the airport as NAIA was passed to serve as a reminder to the world about the heroism of former Senator Ninoy Aquino and all the Filipinos who participated during the) People Power Revolution,” the senator stressed.
“Ang kamatayan ni Ninoy sa airport na yan ang isa sa nagsilbing mitsa sa pagpapabagsak ng diktatura at sa tuluyang pagkakaisa ng bansa tungo sa demokrasya (Ninoy’s death in that airport was what sparked the fall of the dictatorship and united the country towards democracy),” she said.
Besides, the airport’s current name does not even confuse Filipinos and even the foreigners who visit the country.
The Aquinos and Marcoses have been political rivals. The former senator was a known opposition leader during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. His wife, Corazon Aquino became the country’s 11th president after Marcos Sr., while their son, Benigno Aquino III, became the country’s 15th president.
Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. had earlier filed a bill proposing that the NAIA be renamed to Ferdinand E. Marcos International Airport.
But Hontiveros said tackling such measure will take a lot of time in Congress when it needs to focus on legislation aimed at helping the country overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation.
“Maging mas malinaw sana ang batayan ng mga panukala. Napakahaba ng panahong gugugulin ng mga panukalang ito sa Kongreso. Kaya dapat ay sulitin nating mga mambabatas ang panahon na yan para sa mga panukalang mas tutugon sa pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino (The basis of the proposed law should be clear. These measures will take up a lot of time in Congress. That’s why we lawmakers must make use of our time on measures that will address the needs of the Filipinos),” she said.