CLARK FREEPORT – The Clark International Airport Corporation’s (CIAC) engineering department said yesterday that “security and safety were not compromised” amid reports that power cables have been stolen at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.
“Power cables at the airport were already upgraded and working properly in compliance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization,” CIAC said in a press release following reports that the cables were vital back up features for primary power lines for vital lights at the DMIA’s runway and taxiway.
Reports earlier said that the cables were vital back up for primary cables for lighting up the DMIA’s runway and taxiway.
The statement quoted CIAC engineering department manager Ruel Angeles as saying that “the missing cables are remnants of the old power lines installed along Runway 02R/20L and Taxiway 5.”
“These old lines are used to power the perimeter lights and not Runway 2 and Taxiway F5 as reported. The power cables (at the runway and taxiway) remain intact,” the statement said.
It said Angeles had “erred on his previous report with regards the actual length and value of the alleged missing power cables” and that “the power cables had already been upgraded to keep up with the standards of the ICAO.”
ICAO refers to the Canada-based International Civil Aviation Organization.
Angeles brushed off the reports that “what were stolen belonged to a back up system that lights a runway, taxiway and the entire airfield.”
Angeles said that these “were actually standby underground power cables that could be utilized as ‘spare cable line’ for the security perimeter lighting system.”
“The airfield ground lighting system for the runway and taxiway lights were not affected and are fully operational and are backed up by a standby power generator,” said Angeles.
“The report was malicious and unfounded because the power cables are intact,” said Angeles.
“A field inventory conducted by the CIAC Electrical Maintenance Section discovered that some of the perimeter lights were not working but this would not affect operations of the entire airport,” the CIAC said.
CIAC President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano said “it is business as usual at the Clark airport which is operating smoothly.”
“Nothing has been affected at the airport and the operations continue. There are no implications and the Clark airport operates 24/7,” he said.
He also said that he had issued passes to the ground maintenance people on condition that their backgrounds would be checked properly.
“There is no evidence to link the four men – Cesar Mayo, Jose Canete III and Nilo and Rolly Padua to the disappearance of the old power cables,” he added.
The CIAC statement also quoted CIAC security manager Jose Marlowe Pedregosa as saying that “the four would not be able to carry over 2,000 meters of cables without being seen by the airport security men.
The four stayed only for 10 hours for a day inside the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.”
Luciano said that wireless security measures would be installed along the perimeter of the Clark airport “so that we will not be susceptible to theft.”
He also said that an independent third party composed of the National Bureau of Investigation, the Clark Development Corporation and the Department of Transportation and Communications is slated to study existing electrical system at the DMIA.
