Despite case vs execs, it's 'business as usual' at MCIA

CEBU, Philippines —  Embattled directors of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) assured that it remains "business as usual" at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport as they vowed to exhaust all legal remedies to prove their innocence and counter accusations of Anti-Dummy Law violations hurled against them.

“The case is now in court. With the help of our legal team, we can finally clear our names and disprove all the baseless allegations against us,” the group said in a statement after posting bail on November 26.

They added that they will “not allow this case to distract them from their mission of providing first-world services and facilities to passengers of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.”

“We also assure the public that it is business as usual in the country’s award-winning airport terminals,” they said.

According to the statement, GMCAC, which operates the MCIA, transformed the airport into the Philippines’ only internationally-acclaimed and award-winning airport.

The feat, it added, was accomplished with a firm adherence to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, especially since Megawide and GMR are both widely-held publicly-listed companies.

Lapu-Lapu City RTC Branch 68 Presiding Judge Ferdinand Collantes issued warrant of arrest against 15 officials of GMCAC and set bail at P90,000 each.

The case stemmed from alleged violations of the Anti-Dummy Law filed by the Department of Justice against all the accused.

According to the charge sheet, the foreign nationals, who did not allegedly possess the qualifications required by the Constitution or existing laws, were allegedly permitted to “acquire, use, exploit or enjoy a right, franchise, privilege, property or business, the exercise and enjoyment of which are expressly reserved by the Constitution or existing laws to citizens of the Philippines, to intervene in the management, operation, and administration or control of the GMCAC, a public utility corporation with the government franchise to operate and maintain the MCIA.”

Also charged was former Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) general manager Steve Dicdican.

Judge Collantes, in his order dated November 25, 2021, issued a warrant of arrest against Edgar Saavedra, Manuel Louie B. Ferrer, Oliver Y. Tan, JEZ Dela Cruz, Srinivas Bommidala, P. Sripathy, Vivek Singhal, Andrew Acquaah-Harrison, Ravi Bhatnagar, Ravishankar Saravu, Michael Lenane,Sudarshan MD alias Sudarshan Madhav Doddathota, Kumar Gaurav, Magesh Nambiar alias Magesh Perayil Kanneth, and Rajesh Madan.

As of 3 p.m. of November 26, Saavedra, Ferrer, Tan, Dela Cruz, who are all director of GMCAC, as well as Harrison, chief executive adviser, had all posted their bail.

‘Ready to arrest’

Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) said it is ready to serve the warrant of arrest against the directors of GMCAC who remain on the loose.

LLCPO Director Colonel Arnel Banzon said they have received information that some of these executives are based in Manila.

At the moment, though, LLCPO has yet to receive a specific directive to locate the remaining accused.

Banzon also said they weren't given authority to check the accused’s offices at the airport. However, he said that they are ready to provide assistance in locating them should they be tapped.

GMCAC previously posting bail was their next “procedural step” after the recent developments.

Hinting on the reason why they were filed the case, they said: “This is the latest development in a long line of attempts to bring down Megawide's reputation and credibility that, it will be recalled, began with its bid for the rehabilitation of NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila).” — Iris Hazel M. Mascardo, JMD (FREEMAN)