Duterte warns of military takeover of NAIA if operations don't improve

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday warned of a military takeover of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport if there would be no improvements to the operations of the country’s main gateway.

Duterte disclosed his plan in a speech at the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Puerto Princesa City, where he recalled tapping former military chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero last year to stamp out corruption and smuggling in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“‘Yang NAIA na ‘yan ‘pag hindi kayo nag-improve diyan, magtake-over diyan Air Force. ‘Yan lang ang paraan diyan,” the President said.

Duterte’s pronouncement comes as the government raised the possibility of dropping negotiations with the consortium eyeing to rehabilitate the airport if an agreement is not reached by April 30.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said on March 26 that if an agreement with the NAIA Consortium was not reached on the deadline he set, the Department of Transportation might take over the rehabilitation.

In September 2018, the NAIA Consortium — composed of seven of the biggest conglomerates in the country — received the original proponent status (OPS) for its P105-billion proposal to rehabilitate the country's premier gateway.

The consortium counts as members JG Summit, Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

The first phase of the consortium's proposal entails improving and expanding the terminals to increase the airport’s capacity to 65 million passengers. The project is expected to be completed in 48 months.

The second phase involves the development of additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals, and associated support infrastructure.

Airport congestion and past incidents of alleged planting of bullets in passengers luggage by airport personnel for extortion, had also become a national concern, and Duterte vowed to stop the modus that victimized innocent passengers.

In his speech, Duterte said he ordered Guerrero to shoot smugglers.

“Ang order ko kay Guerrero ganito, ‘Palitan mo lahat ‘yang mga guwardiya na ‘yan at kung may mahuli ka, makita kayo ng smuggler, barilin ninyo, patayin ninyo at sabi ninyo ako ang nag-utos,’” he said.

He again justified his decision to order the destruction of smuggled luxury cars, saying putting them up for auction would only give the smugglers an opportunity to secure them legally through the BOC.

“Wasakin mo, tabla tayo. Kung hindi maka-drive ‘yung mga taga Tondo ng sports car, pati kayong mga mayayaman na u***,” he said.

Duterte oversaw the destruction of many contraband luxury vehicles at the Port of Manila and Port Irene in Cagayan province last year. —LBG, GMA News