New CAAP executives needed - DOTC

MANILA, Philippines - Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose P. de Jesus declared in no uncertain terms yesterday that the naming of seven key executives to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) by the CAAP board is “necessary and, of course, legal,” and called upon the CAAP head “to recognize the supremacy of the law as every civil servant should.”

The DOTC chief, a highly respected public official in the Aquino government, broke his silence following the continued overt and covert activities of Alfonso Cusi, CAAP current director general, resisting the reforms in the aviation sector undertaken by the Aquino government through De Jesus.

De Jesus said their appointment was “doubtless necessary.” The CAAP Board named the seven key CAAP executives precisely to address two glaring weaknesses in the top management of CAAP which are: (1) A lack of highly trained technical aviation professionals, and (2) the need to install a computerized set up complete with data base needed in the aviation sectors, according to de Jesus.

He also pointed out that the actions of the CAAP Board are, “of course, legal.” DOTC lawyers earlier pointed out that the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9497, which stipulated that the CAAP Board is the appointing authority of key CAAP executives. They added: “A simple rule in law also cites any governing board as the supreme decision making body in a corporation like the CAAP.”

Earlier, DOTC Undersecretary Dante Velasco said that Cusi needed support from real aviation people, since Cusi was more of a shipping or sea port executive. In the last dying days of the previous administration, Cusi was named CAAP director general.

In contrast, the newly appointed executives led by CAAP deputy directors general Ramon Gutierrez and Napoleon Garcia are steeped in training and experience in aviation – both of them seasoned pilots.

De Jesus said that, as full-fledged aviators, the new CAAP officials can hasten our return to Category 1, “precisely because they know exactly every step to take for upgrading Philippine aviation.”

“Most of these appointed officials have served the Air Transportation Office, now CAAP, for many years. They have the vision, the knowhow and the managerial will to bring us back to meet every global aviation standard that will thus win back Category 1 for Philippine aviation,” De Jesus added.

Prior to joining the CAAP, Gutierrez was consultant for general aviation at the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and board member of ZestAir Inc. Upon retirement from the military service in 1995, he joined Ayala Aviation Corp. as operations manager.

Garcia, also a veteran pilot, was also educated here and abroad. He was an instructor for helicopters, B-747 and Airbus 340-200 at the Maxwell AFB in Alabama, USA. He was also a PMA alumnus, Class 1974, and enrolled at the PAF flying school the following year.