ANGELES CITY – Various multi-sectoral organizations here have asked President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to replace Victor Jose Luciano as president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
This amid a resolution signed by the CIAC board to rename the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) to Clark International Airport which reaped criticisms and protests from Pampanga mayors and other stakeholders in Central Luzon.
The Angeles City Multi-Sectoral Consultative Council issued a manifesto denouncing the move to rename the airport and instead asked PNoy to remove Luciano from his post as CIAC head.
According to the group, Luciano is being insensitive to what the Kapampangans and the Filipinos in general would feel (on the issue of renaming DMIA to CIA), who respect and hold high regards to the legacy of the late President Diosdado Pangan Macapagal.
In their manifesto, the group appealed to PNoy not to be swayed by the proposals of Luciano.
“Rather than changing the name of the airport, the president should definitely consider replacing Luciano himself,” the group said.
“Para sa amin, walang malinaw na basehan ang panukala ni Luciano, kundi ang lantarang pagsisipsip sa kasalukuyang administrasyon,” said Bhot Mangulabnan, a spokesperson of the group.
He also said: “Ang panukalang ibalik sa Clark International Airport ang pangalan ng DMIA ay produkto ng sagad-sagarang kaisipang kolonyal.”
The group adds that Clark Air Base is a former military installation of the United States, which became a symbol of incursion and American supremacy here in the Philippines and in Asia.
Earlier, the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement also called for the ouster of Luciano.
PGKM chair Ruperto Cruz said that it is wary of Luciano’s “real intentions” with his P1-billion loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines. “We are worried that the money acquired by Luciano could be used to pursue Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas’s 2016 presidential ambitions,” he said.
CLARK AIR BASE
Covering 2,500 hectares, the Clark Aviation Complex used to be the central facility in the Clark Air Base of the United States Air Force until 1991 when the Senate ordered all US military bases in the Philippines closed and American troops pulled out.
Clark Air Base was named in honor of Major Harold Clark of the US Army Signal Corps who died in a plane crash in Panama Canal in 1919.
In honor of this aviation pioneer, the American government changed the name of Fort Stotsenberg into Clark.
“Napalayas na natin ang mga Kano, kaya walang dahilan na panatilihin pa natin ang pangalang Clark hindi lamang sa airport, kundi sa buong lugar na ngayon ay ginawa na nating isang malayang kalakalan o Freeport zone,” the group stressed.
At the same time, the multi-sectoral group said they will also conduct protest rallies and mass actions to prevent Luciano from implementing the CIAC board resolution renaming DMIA to CIA.
The CIAC board during its 10th special meeting on October 14, 2011 approved the resolution restoring the name of CIA.
The resolution states that it will restore the name “Clark International Airport” to refer to the Clark Civil Aviation Complex within the Clark Freeport Zone to enhance its international acceptance and to preserve its historical significance.
CIAC clarified, however, that it did not drop Macapagal’s name in the airport, noting that the Terminal 1 will be named as Diosdado Macapagal Terminal (DMT) to recognize the legacy of former President Diosdado P. Macapagal as the first Kapampangan to become the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Clark International Airport was renamed to DMIA in July 2001 through a board resolution signed by Luciano in honor of the late President Macapagal.
