BOY TANSO takes off where Boy Bakal got scrapped.
All pun intended there, the metallic elements so seemingly highly prized – and steeply priced – at the Clark airport finding incorporation, aye, alloyed in the leading dramatis persona of a never-ending parody.
So it came to pass that the fearless – some say fearsome, as his family name means in Kapampangan – former Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, now Clark International Airport Corp. vice president for operations, cried thievery, letting loose a media feeding frenzy on his own president-CEO, Victor Jose “Chicos” Luciano.
Catacutan, brandishing volumes of documents as evidence, claimed he himself “caught in the act” four persons in the employ of one ACP Manpower and in possession of Luciano’s handwritten letter allowing them access to “highly sensitive” – and therefore restricted – areas at the airport where he allegedly caught them digging up underground cables.
Even as some of the cables were recovered, the bulk of the loot, estimated to be worth P2.6 million, has reportedly remained missing.
Catacutan could not help but express rage at the pilferage, given that the cables were supposed to serve as back up in case the primary cables lighting the runway and taxiway of the Clark airport are rendered inoperable.
“Luciano should be held administratively and criminally liable for qualified theft.” So declared Catacutan.
So bannered the local papers, including this one.
So at the CIAC came into being Boy Tanso. The copper from the pilfered cables now in the hands of junk dealers.
On Monday, Luciano tendered his leave of absence – until November 6 – in his bid to allow an impartial investigation of Catacutan’s allegations.
This, even as a team of “experts” from the Office of Transportation and Safety of the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is set to look into the status of cables at Clark’s two runways, taxiway and other parts of the aviation complex.
If only to be assured that the safety of the airport has not been compromised.
“We welcome any investigation as to the alleged missing power cables. What is important is that safety and security of the Clark airport was not compromised. The airport operates smoothly,” said Luciano.
Nothing is compromised. Luciano has said so much, insistent that the missing cables connected only the electric posts at the aviation complex’s periphery. “They are old cables installed way back in 1995 and must have been stolen over these years, not just at one time,” Luciano said.
Luciano’s very demeanor and rationalizations remind us of the times of Boy Bakal at the CIAC. Some déjà vu now with this column that appeared here in June 2010.
Demolition derby
FRENZIED. THAT is the demolition of 16 buildings at the Clark civil aviation complex, 14 in a period of one month.
“Dilapidated derelicts thoroughly ransacked. With absolute zero value in the CIAC books.”
So rationalized Clark International Airport Corp. President-CEO Victor Jose “Chichos” Luciano of the demolition, further ennobling his rationalization with the declaration that all the proceeds from the scraps went to the livelihood programs of the indigenous Aeta tribes of Bamban, CIAC not seeing a single cent of it.
But zero value? The scraps from the demolished buildings may not have any value in the CIAC books but, aside from the sentimental, they absolutely have million-peso value in some other books. Go, Chichos, ask any junk shop dealer.
Yes, in our banner story here yesterday, the value of the scrap derived from the 16 demolished buildings was put at between a low of P30 million to a whopping P192 million. There is money in those dilapidated derelicts, Chichos.
But he Aetas, the intended beneficiaries, claimed having received practically nothing. At least the president of the Bamban Aeta Tribal Association, Oscar Rivera, went on record saying: “What we got was P15,000 and 100 sacks of rice, and that was in 2009.”
So where did the rest of the money go?
Loose lips at the CIAC itself let loose rumors of P1- million cold cash finding its way to the individual campaign chests of six very fortunate mayors. The monetized scraps personally delivered by a ranking CIAC thief, er, chief of office.
No hearsays now but in a story here today, one Josie Gomez, a purported scrap dealer, introduced herself as the very “agent” of the Aetas in dealing with scrap buyers, and claimed she had turned over about P9.5 million to the Aetas since the demolitions began last year.
A total of P4.5 million of that amount, Gomez claimed, was spent for various projects, such as water pumps, scholarships and distribution of relief goods in the Aeta villages in Bamban.
Gomez also disclosed that contrary to Rivera’s claim of only P15,000 and 100 sacks of rice, he actually received “no less than P3.5 million” share of the proceeds from the sale of scraps of two demolished buildings.
Gomez’s declarations virtually exonerated Luciano from all allegations of anomalies arising from the demolition job he authorized.
We have to point out though that Rivera has called Gomez an “associate of Luciano.”
The same Gomez was exposed by Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo – in a report to CIAC Board Chairman Nestor Mangio – as having offered his son Patrick the amount of P450,000 just to allow the demolition of a building he wanted to use.
Pelayo has earlier accused Luciano of having ordered the demolition of two buildings in his leased area for a food hub.
Luciano may have found some solace in the declarations of Gomez but he would find no comfort but all misery in the continuing demolition job swirling about him.
Now labeled as the “Demolition Man” – that’s what the monikers “Boy Scrap and “Boy Bakal” sum up to, Luciano has to contend with the vitriolic ink of those poison letters and the venomous innuendoes and verbal assaults on his persona.
Already, a Ford Escape and a Toyota Fortuner are being tagged as “katas ng scrap, handog ni Boy Manyak.”
So, ignorant us could only ask: Who own(s) those SUVs? Can they afford to pay for such pricey vehicles with their salaries, be they from CIAC or CDC?
It would be silly to still ask who “Boy Manyak” is supposed to be.
Yeah, it is not only the derelict and dilapidated buildings that are currently being demolished at CIAC, even characters – not necessarily dilapidated and derelict – are objects of the wrecking ball.
Yeah, demolition derby is the name of the game in Clark. Especially with this frenzy to hold on to positions, to clutch at straws, in the irreversible change of administration.
Irreversible? I maybe wrong there, what with a “Boy Kapit” or a “Boy Sipsip” at CIAC reportedly having already ingratiated himself with the incoming Aquino administration.
Oh boy!
Of the scraps, Luciano got off unscraped before the Ombudsman, subsequently becoming the “last man standing” at the CIAC. His vice presidents, the directors and the chairman of the CIAC board himself having all been replaced.
Lucky Luciano there. He must have some amulets. Of iron and copper? I wonder.
