MIAA explains delay in NAIA-3 payment

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Alfonso Cusi said the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and their own lawyers are ready to appear before Pasay Judge Jesus Mupas to answer a contempt order over the failure to pay P3 billion to Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco), the consortium that built NAIA-3.

"Our lawyers will be appearing in court to answer the show-cause order," Cusi said yesterday.

He said MIAA said there were valid reasons for his continued failure to issue an order to release the P3 billion from its escrow account.

"There are many procedural matters and other considerations that we have to follow and consider especially since we are talking about a big amount of money. You see, I can’t just release the money just like that. It’s not my personal money," Cusi explained.

He said that he was still in the process of getting the approval of the MIAA board of directors, headed by Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, for the release of the P3 billion from its escrow account in the Land Bank of the Philippines.

"There’s a process that we have to follow. We have to follow the procedures," Cusi said.

He added that since the money in escrow with the LBP is in dollars, they also have to go before the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to get guidelines for the release of the money.

"We have to convert the dollar into pesos. The amount is huge so it’s not that simple," Cusi explained.

He said that the issuance of the show- cause order of the lower court seemed to indicate a haste in the part of the court.

"We don’t know why they seem to be hurrying," Cusi said. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Jose Rodel Clapano