ANGELES CITY – The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) has challenged Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya to put his money where his mouth is.
Ruperto Cruz, PGKM chair, said Abaya should stop blabbering and immediately get to work. “We had too many promises (from the government) before. We don’t need any more promises from you now,” said Cruz.
At the sidelines of the arrival ceremony of the maiden flight of Emirates Airlines’ Dubai-Clark- Dubai non-stop daily flights last October 1 at the Clark International Airport (CIA) Abaya said the government is studying the establishment of a P7.2-billion low cost carrier (LCC) terminal in Clark.
“We have an FS (feasibility study),” said Abaya. He added that French airport operator, Aeroports de Paris, will undertake the feasibility study.
He also said the present Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) terminal, which is undergoing a P360-million expansion, will solely be used as a terminal for legacy airlines.
“This is all an illusion,” said Cruz of the P7.2 billion which Abaya said would be appropriated for the proposed LCC. “Abaya is nothing but a lackey of (Secretary Mar) Roxas,” Cruz added. Roxas, at his time as DOTC head had been scored by the PGKM for allegedly “conspiring with imperial dragons of Manila to sabotage the development of the Clark airport.”
“Is Abaya aware of the number of feasibility studies already conducted at the CIA? Cruz asked. “How much was spent when the “Aerotropolis” study was made during the time (of then Clark Development Corp. president and CEO) Manny Angeles?”
Cruz said “vested interest groups in cahoots with their minions in government are still out to sabotage the CIA.”
Meanwhile, Cruz also lambasted Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose “Chichos” Luciano for allegedly “mismanaging” the CIA. “I don’t believe he is a good manager,” he said.
Cruz noted that under Luciano’s watch, a number of airlines have come and gone at the CIA the latest of these was Philippines’ Air Asia which initially chose CIA as its hub but eventually moved to NAIA just last week. Earlier, AirPhil Express and Zest Air, and the now defunct Asian Spirit moved out of CIA.
“Luciano is anything but a manager,” Cruz reiterated. But the PGKM chair said Emirates as well as Qatar airways are both “welcome developments” as well with other incoming Middle Eastern flights. However, Cruz said the problem is with the host airport which lacks a good manager.
“The airlines come and go,” Cruz said, adding that Middle Eastern airlines could be “seasonal” and that would require a lot of support from the host airport. “Luciano should be replaced with a good technocrat for the sake of the CIA,” Cruz said.
