ANGELES CITY -- A businessman here has called Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to “resign” following disclosing government plan to pursue the development of a new international airport in Sangley Point, Cavite province.
Ruperto Cruz, owner of the Grand Palazzo Royale and Royal Garden Golf and Country Club, said the government will spend a huge amount of money to construct a new airport.
"Why not develop Clark International Airport and Lipa airport [in Batangas province], established na ang mga yan," Cruz, head of the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement, said.
Attributing the Sangley airport plan to Abaya, Cruz described these actions as anti-tourism and anti-progress for the Kapampangans, Pangasinenses and Ilokanos who are clamoring for the full development of Clark International Airport as the country’s premier gateway.
He said that there is allegedly a "conspiracy" to prevent the development of Clark airport to protect the interest of Taipans in Metro Manila.
Several airlines pulled out from Clark because of the failure of the government to develop the airport. This, Cruz said, has affected the local economy, particularly the hotel and restaurant industry, last year.
“There are so many flights a kinansel da. They know very well na ing NAIA a maximise na ne ing capacity na. O’t ere gamitan ing Clark (There are so many flights that they cancelled. They know very well that NAIA has maximized its capacity. Why don’t they use Clark?),” Cruz said.
Aside from these, the trader said that Cavite is “isolated” in terms of geographical location.
Based on the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Cruz said the government needs to raise some P436 billion to build a replacement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which already reached its maximum capacity.
Abaya earlier stated that the government plans to start the development of new international airport in Cavite province within the last 18 months of President Aquino. The government tapped JICA to make a study for a new international gateway.
Abaya said JICA considered all possible sites and Sangley Point, which is only 20 minutes drive and 20 kilometers away from Metro Manila, fit all the criteria. The proposed airport in Cavite is eyed as a replacement of the congested NAIA.