Lawyer Leads Official Petition To Change NAIA To Manila International Airport

PETITION STATEMENT Date: Jan 19, 2017

Source: ATTY. LORENZO G. GADON

Today we ask our Honorable President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and our government, through Congress and the responsible executive agencies, to restore the country’s gateway to its original name, MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA) #BringBackMIA

When the Manila airport was turned over by the Americans to the Philippine government, in 1948, after the completion of the present runways in 1961, it was named the Manila International Airport, and carried that name ever since. But in 1987, during the term of Cory Aquino, MIA was renamed after her late husband. This was done well in advance of the 10-year prescription period for naming public sites after dead personalities, the height of a self-serving motive to uplift one’s image for political perpetuity, brainwashing and indoctrination.

It is still way too early to award Ninoy such an honor. There are at least three malfeasances for which he must be held to account:

* One, he authored the fake account of the so-called “Jabidah massacre” in 1967 and sabotaged our country’s claim to territory.

* Two, he was complicit in the reestablishment of the local communist party and guerrilla army under Maoist control in 1968-69.

* Three, he was inexplicably absent during the bombing of the LP rally in Plaza Miranda in 1971 despite his being the most popular and front-runner candidate and the secretary general of the Liberal Party.

Ninoy was also convicted and sentenced to death for his role and complicity in a rebellion for the purpose of overthrowing the government in favor of communism. Perhaps, to the jaundiced eye of which there are only few in our society, history somehow could be kinder to Ninoy in the end. But that moment is not here yet. And until that moment comes – if it ever does at all – the name of Ninoy Aquino is a growing source of rancor and divisiveness among our people.

At the same time, it is also important to dissociate our international gateway from the scandalous performance in recent years that earned for NAIA a reputation as the world’s worst airport. People abroad can only speculate that it is no coincidence that this bad performance occurred during the administration of Ninoy’s namesake son, highlighted by the LAGLAG BALA scam which victimized more than a thousand of Filipinos and foreigners alike.

Let us look both to the past and the future. The name NAIA is also confusing and does not lead to a recognition and identity of the country it represents. And looking into the story why it was renamed Aquino one would always be reminded of its image as a place of political upheaval, murder, and a perception of a destabilized country with pervading social unrest and divisiveness.

The name MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is a proud and storied one. It is recognizable worldwide, redolent of history and fragrant with promise for the future. Let us restore the legacy of such a name to our international gateway, enhance our reputation among our friends abroad, and promote greater unity among our people here at home.

BRING BACK the name MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT! LET’S DO IT NOW! #BringBackMIA

We will also lead Petitions to change the name of Ninoy Aquino Sports Stadium back to RIZAL MEMORIAL COLISEUM. Who is Ninoy compared to Rizal?

We will also Petition the demonetization of the P500 Peso Bill. Why should it bear the image of Ninoy

when he did not become president of the country and he was not officially declared a national hero?