Saturday, May 06, 2006
Cebu guv wants Yap to stay as Mactan airport chief
CEBU CITY -- Now is a crucial time for the Asean summit preparations so the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) must not change its manager, said a Capitol top official.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will ask fellow members of the MCIAA board of directors that they seek "immediate remedial measures" to the Civil Service Commission's disapproval of the appointment of Airport General Manager Adelberto Yap.
"We would not want to change horses in midstream," she told reporters Friday.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC), in a letter last April 24, disapproved Yap's appointment because he lacks the required third-level eligibility.
CSC Chairperson Karina Constantino-David also stated that the commission was misled in appointing him when there are more qualified applicants.
The other applicants are Ahmed Cuizon and Nigel Paul Villarete.
These two are Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's choice but he expects a wealthy businessman to have more influence on the selection of the next MCIAA manager.
Osmeña said he will be willing to recommend Villarete, Cebu City planning officer, and Cuizon, MCIAA public relations officer, and write letters of endorsement if they ask him.
In a news conference, Osmeña said it is better to have someone from Cebu manage the airport because that person already knows the personalities and issues in the local government units being served by the airport.
But Yap's appointment is valid until March 2007, said MCIAA alternate chairman Nilo Jatico said.
He said the MCIAA, not the CSC, will decide on who is capable to manage the airport.
Section 7, Paragraph B of Republic Act 6958 or MCIAA Charter mandates the authority "to appoint general manager who shall be chief executive."
The MCIAA board is made up of Jatico, Yap, Governor Garcia, Justice Undersecretary Ramon Liwag, Valeriano Avila, Renato Osmeña, Winglip Chang, Gordon Joseph, Director Ma. Teresa Abal of the Department of Budget and Management and Director Patria Aurora Roa of the Department of Tourism.
Governor Garcia said the airport is "a very vital infrastructure, being the entry point" of participants to this December's gathering of heads of state for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
"It (airport) must be well-prepared and expertly managed," she said.
She also pointed out that Yap is "in the thick of preparations" for the summit. "He initiated several projects like the installation of CCTVs, the purchase of additional equipment like X-ray machines, the preparation of roads and other security measures."
The board may ask the CSC to reconsider, said Garcia.
Yap is chairman of the summit's airport arrival and departure.
Among the preparations he is pushing for the summit is the construction of a VIP lounge for the Asean participants and the expansion of the ramp to accommodate aircrafts of visiting heads of states.
Jatico said the CSC is insisting on the career executive service CES) eligibility, but CSC officials must be reminded that "there is a big difference between eligibility and capability."
"They must admit that all the CES eligible persons in their list are not qualified to manage an airport," he said.
At present, Yap is a holder of CSC professional eligibility.
Osmeña believes other groups and individuals will have more influence on the selection of Yap's replacement, particularly Philippine Airlines (PAL) owner Lucio Tan.
"Grabe gyud, the influence of Lucio Tan is very strong. That's the key, PAL owns the airport," he added. (JPM/LCR/EOB of Sun.Star Cebu)
(May 6, 2006 issue)
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