“How can ADAPT be consistent when its main proponents are also the main proponents of the Capilion Corp. Pte. Ltd. project at the main entrance of the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ)?” asked PGKM chair Ruperto Cruz.
“They are consistent in killing the Clark airport,” he said.
Cruz was referring to ADAPT proponent and signatory Dr. Francisco Villanueva Jr., who is reported to be also one of the main proponents of Capilion and “passionately defending” its construction at the Clark main gate even if it is seen to cause a projected traffic gridlock in the area that could hamper the development of the airport.
The PGKM is calling for the relocation of the Capilion project from the Clark main gate and instead inside the CFZ preferably at the sprawling and modern Global Gateway Logistics City (GGLC) just behind SM City Clark. “How can ADAPT be believable with its advocacy?” Cruz asked.
Villanueva is a director of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) Board and had said they approved the location of the Capilion project at the main entrance of the CFZ.
The Angeles City Council has approved a resolution rejecting the Capilion project at Clark’s main entrance because it is seen to hamper the development of the Clark airport.
Cruz noted that despite the city council’s resolution, Mayor Ed Pamintuan has done nothing and is now even a proponent of ADAPT.
Cruz also named Pamintuan’s chief of staff Alexander Cauguiran who was once the executive vice president of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
“How can you be advocating for the Clark airport when you were once its executive vice president and did nothing?” he asked.
“Ala nakaman gewa? Ng gewa mu keng PAL (You did nothing. What did you do with PAL)?” he asked.
Cruz said instead of pressing Philippine Airlines (PAL) to use Clark airport, it allowed the flag carrier to have its way with Clark by allegedly making it as parking for its old aircraft and making it as a boneyard for old and dilapidated airplanes.
As if to rub salt to the injury, Cruz said, CIAC even allowed PAL to train its pilots at the Clark airport but had ignored its use.
Under Cauguiran, the Clark airport did not take off, Cruz said.
“What happened to the flights that were here but are now gone? Zest Air left and merged with Air Asia Philippines who quickly also left. Tiger Air, Sea Air, Air Asia Berhad…” Cruz said. “They all left.”
“Even the tourism industry in the region was affected because of the stunted growth of the Clark airport,” he noted.
“Me-inconvenience la reng tau keti angga Ilocos (The people here up to Ilocos suffered inconvenience),” he said.
“We have a lot of expectations from these people. But these people let us down,” he lamented.
Cruz said ADAPT wants to prominently float and project its name so that the next administration will now have to deal with them when it comes to the Clark airport.
“Therefore they are the people to reckon with,” he said. At present, some P15 billion have been allocated for the development of the Clark airport where P3.2 billion was reported to have already been released.
“But where’s the construction that is supposed to be funded by these allocations,” Cruz asked.
Manifesto
In a manifesto, ADAPT has outlined its priorities:
1. Define and implement dual airport strategy for NAIA and Clark as a national priority;
2. Implement the Clark Airport Masterplan as designed and invest in the infrastructure support and restore the terminal to 15 million passenger capacity;
3. Direct POEA, OWWA, DOH and other government agencies to ensure that pre-employment procedures and services required of OFWs are available near Clark International Airport in Pampanga (preferably under a One-Stop Government Center);
4. Legislate the non-imposition (or a moratorium on the collection) of travel tax in all airports of the Philippines except MNL;
5. Legislate exemption of Filipino airlines flying domestic routes (at all Philippine airports except MNL) from payment of excise tax and value added tax on their aviation fuel; and
6. Pass the Clark Airport Authority Act.