I got a couple of press releases from San Miguel Corporation about the tragic incident at NAIA Terminal 1 yesterday, in which two people died and four others were injured.

As you know, SMC owns the New NAIA Infra Corporation that now manages our airport terminals. Naturally, accountability was being laid on its doorstep.

Good thing the big boss, Ramon S. Ang, is a man who knows how to face his responsibilities. So I was happy to read this from one of the press releases:

While the investigation is ongoing, Ang said he will personally shoulder the medical expenses of the four individuals who were injured and provide financial assistance to the families of the two who died in the incident.

“This is a very tragic incident,” the PR quoted him as saying. “Our priority now is to make sure the victims and their families receive the support and care they need.”

Salute. I just hope that RSA does not casually feel that every casualty can be fixed by monetary assistance. I hope that he will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like this will not be repeated again. He has the supremacy and the resources to pull it off.

Let’s remove SUA from our motoring jargon. Time to put the spotlight on driver error

Now, just a small thing about the PR that I didn’t particularly like. Let me share with you this part:

Initial reports indicate that the SUV was parked near the terminal entrance when it suddenly accelerated, crashing through the outer railing and into the walkway. The driver is currently in police custody.

I take issue with the use of the phrase “it [the vehicle] suddenly accelerated.” To my mind, it reinforces the belief by many (yes, unfortunately) that “sudden unintended acceleration” is real. In fact, I have no doubt that the only reason SUA is not being mentioned by people is that the SUV involved is a Ford Everest and not a Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

Thankfully, too, initial investigation has established the claims of the driver, and SUA is nowhere to be found:

The driver said when he started his vehicle, a sedan suddenly passed in front, “causing him to forget to transfer his foot to the brake pedal, which resulted in his vehicle striking” passengers at the entrance, the report added.

Let’s remove SUA from our motoring jargon. Moving forward, let’s promote accountability and honesty in our use of our roads. Time to put the spotlight on driver error. Let’s call a spade a spade.

Or, well, let’s call incompetence, incompetence.