PARKED PLANES. Props or junk? PHOTO BY BONG LACSON
ANGELES CITY – The presence of at least five airplanes grounded on the flight line of the Clark International Airport (CIA) did not go unnoticed by the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM), a multi-sectoral group based here which advocates for the full and immediate development of the said airport.
Ruperto Cruz, PGKM chair, said either Victor Jose “Chichos” Luciano, Clark International Airport Corp. president- CEO, has finally succeeded in turning the CIA into a junkyard of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) or the aircraft showcase is meant as props for the on-going Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions/ Events Convention (MICE Con) at the Clark Freeport.
Cruz also said the presence of PAL airplanes at the flight line might be too tempting for some and in case of theft like cannibalizing their spare parts, the whole Kapampangan people might be blamed for the felony. It also crowds the flight line, he added.
“Masira la reng buong Kapampangan patse kewalan cable o kaya aluminyu o bakal (It will be damaging for the whole Kapampangans if anything is stolen like cables or aluminum or steel),” Cruz warned. “It (theft) happened before, it might happen again in all likelihood,” said Cruz referring to cable and steel thefts at the airport some time back.
The thefts had given rise to the monikers “Boy Bakal,” “Boy Kable,” “Boy Yero” directed at the CIAC. Because of this, Cruz said, Luciano should immediately resign from his post as president and CEO of the CIAC which oversees the management and operation of the CIA for neglecting Clark and for his failure to make the airport the catalysts for development in the region.
But a source from CIAC said the PAL airplanes are grounded for maintenance by Asian Aerospace Corp. However, the PGKM chair noted that a clear “sabotage” is emerging from the way the CIA is being handled as a “mere parking” for PAL’s ground maintenance while the government is pursuing an airport that will rise from a reclamation site at the Manila Bay where casinos and hotels owned by Chinese businessmen are located.
“The Manila Bay reclamation airport is meant to protect Chinese interests which could mean fund contribution for the 2016 polls,” said Cruz. “But what about the rest of the Filipinos?” he asked. Cruz also urged the Filipino people to monitor the planned airport at the Manila Bay reclamation site which could be constructed through the much vaunted Private- Public Partnership (PPP) of the government that will definitely involve people’s money.
Cruz said PAL should also stop training their pilots in Clark out of delicadeza. The PAL Aviation School holds its ground school training at the PAL Learning Center in Manila while actual flight training is held in Clark at the Omni Aviation at the southern end of the runways.
Meanwhile, Cruz observed that even as immigration and check-in counters were added at the CIA terminal, the number of airlines continue to dwindle at the said airport. Only four airlines now emanate from the CIA – Asiana Airlines to South Korea, Qatar Airways to Doha, Tiger Air to Singapore and Cebu Pacific.
“Merakal la reng immigration and check-in counters pero meritak la reng airplanes serving Clark (The immigration and check-in counters were multiplied but the number of airlines serving Clark dwindled),” observed Cruz.
Reached for his side, Luciano said he was in a meeting and declined to comment on the issues.
