SPLIT-TONGUED. So the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement tagged Clark International Airport President-CEO Victor Jose Luciano, aka Chichos, among other aliases.
That, over Luciano’s self-contradiction on the Emirates all-too-fast ave atque vale at the Clark airport. (That’s “hail and farewell,” Tourism Director Ronnie Tiotuico, in case you’ve forgotten your seminary Latin).
To refresh: At the coming of Emirates in October last year, Luciano instantly hitched the fortunes of the CIA to the shining star of the “World’s Best Airline” for 2013.
Declared he then: “Where Emirates goes, everyone goes. Airlines make thorough study before deciding to invest and start operations in an airport. But when Emirates suddenly enters, they skip their studies and just join the Dubai-based airline in its new endeavour.”
And, cognizant of Emirates’ 132 destinations in six continents and 74 countries served by over 2,500 flights per week, Luciano further sayeth: “That means Clark will be open to all the other destinations of Emirates around the world, especially in Europe and Middle East.”
Indeed, the very works on the CIA terminal – unfinished to this day – Luciano deemed not mere corollary but premium to the Emirates coming, thus: “The expansion of the passenger terminal is to accommodate the coming of the long-haul flights from the Middle East, the widebody planes of Emirates and Qatar, and Clark is being readied for the coming of more of these long-haul flights.”
With the announcement last month of Emirates’ decision to decamp, Luciano had this to say: “The suspension of Emirates operation in Clark is just temporary and it will not affect Clark.”
Indeed, Sir Walter Scott, “Oh, what tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” And more tangled the web goes, with more practice of deceit. Like Luciano saying – as cited in a press release from the Clark Development Corp. that “the hot balloon (sic) fiesta is very much suitable in Clark.”
This, at the Holy Tuesday signing of a memorandum of agreement among Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Arnel Casanova, Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Foundation Inc. (PIHABF) President Capt. Joy Roa, CDC President Arthur Tugade and CIAC’s Luciano for the restaging of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, also known as “A Weekend of Everything that Flies,” on February 12-15, 2015.
“Suitable” Luciano now finds Clark for the hot air balloon fest when three years back he had a totally contradictory creed, thus: “This year, 2011, the CIAC has not joined the Hot Air Balloon (Festival). We believe that the project is not in focus with the priorities of CIAC which are to accelerate the development of the airport and woo more airlines to fly to Clark.
For 2010, when CIAC became a partner in the project, through my own efforts, singlehandedly I raised P5.5 million from sponsors which very well covered the P3.5 million payment to Joy Roa.”
Yes, contradictions defi ne Luciano’s multifaceted character at the CIAC. “Dilapidated derelicts thoroughly ransacked. With absolute zero value in the CIAC books.” So Luciano rationalized the demolition of buildings in his area of jurisdiction in 2010, promptly earning him the moniker “Boy Bakal” and “Boy Scrap” when the “zero value” he attached to the structures was scrapped – more literally than figuratively now – to millions of pesos.
That, confi rmed by one Josie Gomez, a purported scrap dealer, in her claim that she had turned over about P9.5 million – generated from the 16 demolished buildings – to the Aetas, P4.5 million of which went to various projects such as water pumps, scholarships and distribution of relief goods in the Aeta villages in Bamban..
Which then Bamban Aeta Tribal Association President Oscar Rivera denied, going on record saying: “What we got was P15,000 and 100 sacks of rice, and that was in 2009.”
It is titillating to note that what Luciano then said as “CIAC’s corporate social responsibility” projects rising out of the scrap proceeds generated a series of “white papers” on the (mis)adventures of one “Boy Manyak” at the CIAC highlighted by a Ford Escape and a Toyota Fortuner being tagged as “katas ng scrap, handog ni Boy Manyak.”
Ignorant us could only ask then: Who own(s) those SUVs? Can they afford to pay for such pricey vehicles with their salaries, be they from CIAC or CDC? We are long resigned to the fact that the only thing constant and consistent in Luciano is his inconsistency. Yet, we still wonder over his turnaround on the comeback of the hot air balloon fest to Clark.
“Cherchez la femme” – Look for the woman. Suggested a friend steeped in French whodunits. Aghast at my cluelessness, this Clark-based pal hinted: Find the woman serving as common denominator among those signatories.
Could it be…yeah, she was slavish to one, secretarial to another, and tongue-rolling, lip-licking siren to the third.
Though just an acquaintance to the first. There, Boy Manyak strikes again, cried my friend. No, I’d rather think that Luciano is being dictated by, and like the loyal soldier that he is, follows “higher powers” which constitute what PGKM has always believed as the “conspiracy to sabotage the full development of the Clark airport into the country’s premier international gateway.”
Yeah, that’s it. To put it simplest.
