GMA urged to open NAIA Terminal 3

President Arroyo was urged yesterday to take immediate steps to open the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 and prosecute government officials and private individuals involved in the anomalous contract to build the new airport.

Lawyer Perfecto Yasay Jr., chairman of the MIA-NAIA Association of Service Operations (MASC), said now is the time for the President to resolved the Terminal 3 issue because of her new mandate.

"The President has a fresh mandate. She said she will let the rule of prevail and fight corruption. Now is the time to put this problem behind us," Yasay stressed.

He said the government should not allow the new airport to go to waste by tolerating the delaying tactics of the Philippine International Air Terminal Co., Inc. (Piatco) consortium, the contractors of the multi-million dollar project.

The lawyer said that although it is not the government which is financially losing with the continued failure to open Terminal 3, it should work towards making the facility operational.

"The government should take the initiative to determine the actual costs of the terminal’s construction by compelling Piatco to open its financial records," he said. "The only way for government to ensure that justice will be served is to open Piatco’s financial books."

Once the government determines the project’s actual costs, Yasay said, it should compensate Piatco for its expenses in the construction of the facility.

When asked how much could be the actual expenses plunked in by Piatco into the project, Yasay quipped: "Government, as I understand, already knows exactly how much, it’s $220 million."

The other priority of the government, Yasay said, is the prosecution of past and present government officials and private individuals involved in the anomalous deal.

He said if the government will resort to amicable settlement with Piatco officials and allow those guilty to go scot-free. "It will be sweeping the problem under the rug."

Yasay said there is no more reason for government not to prosecute those involved after the Supreme Court declared null and void the Piatco contract because of several violations of laws and public policy.

Yasay said "the problem with the government is that it is still trying to arrive at an amicable settlement with Piatco and Fraport AG. That’s not the way to do it."