Creating a National Transportation Safety Board

I have advocated for the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 30 years ago since 1987. In fact, I even visited the NTSB in Washington in 1987 after the Philippine Airlines crash in Baguio.

The last to propose the creation of a NTSB was during the time of former president Joseph Estrada in 1999 or some 18 years ago. It was then transportation and communications undersecretary Primitivo Cal who proposed it.

The NTSB is also one of the proposals of our Pilipinas Sandiwa Heritage Foundation Inc. (PSHFI), which I organized in 2010. We have also proposed the creation of the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation, which will abolish the supercorrupt Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Transportation.

The Citizens Infrastructure Integrity Watchdog (InfraWatch), which is under the aegis of PSHFI, has made policy reform recommendations to the  DPWH in 2011 and also exposed the shameless anomalies therein.

If Sen. Grace Poe is serious with her proposal for the creation of a NTSB, then her office can contact us and we will be happy to help.

RICARDO B. RAMOS,

managing director, PSHFI

and executive director, InfraWatch,

[email protected]