MCIAA board leaves appointment of airport general manager hanging

CEBU, Philippines - The Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority board has failed to approve the appointment of the personal choice of President Aquino to be the next airport general manager.

The board was expected yesterday to deliberate the appointment of Cebu City Planning and Development Officer Nigel Paul Villarete as the new airport manager.

After the more than three hours and a half meeting, members of the MCIAA board failed to agree on whether or not to accommodate the “I Desire” letter of President Aquino wanting Villarete to replace airport general manager Danilo Francia.

There were conflicting reports of what really transpired during the closed-door board meeting.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, a member of the MCIAA board, said Villarete’s appointment was not discussed by them.

But, Francia who prided over the meeting being the board’s vice chairman confirmed that Villarete’s appointment was discussed.

Francia, however, said the issue was referred to the committee on good governance headed by Francis Monera, one of the private sector representatives in the MCIAA board.

Monera’s committee was tasked by the board to look into the qualifications of all the applicants for airport general manager and submit its recommendations in the next board meeting on October 15.

Francia said aside from Villarete they also received applications from other interested people.

He said all applications will pass through the proper screening to determine their qualifications to handle the sensitive position at the Mactan airport.

Francia who earlier tendered his courtesy resignation said he will wait the board’s action to choose his replacement.

According to Francia, he wants proper turn over of his post to the new general manager.

Villarete, however, is said to have an advantage over the other applicants for the position because he was President Aquino’s personal choice.

In fact, Aquino wrote a letter to Secretary Jose de Jesus of the Department of Transportation and Communication saying he desired to have Villarete as the new general manager of the MCIAA.

De Jesus has forwarded the letter dated September 15 to the members of the MCIAA board.

The other members of the board who attended yesterday’s meeting were DOTC Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan, Undersecretary Jose Vincent Salazar of the Department of Justice, Department of Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano and the Department of Finance representative Lourdes Didal.

Newly appointed private sector representatives Roger Lim, Melanie Ng and Pericles Dakay were also present.

All of them, except Dakay, refused to be interviewed. Dakay talked to reporters briefly but was also hesitant to talk about Villarete’s appointment.

Dakay said that they only discussed the different committee chairmanships. (THE FREEMAN)