Clark executive keeps post - Ombudsman

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga ,Philippines  – The Office of the Ombudsman has junked a petition to suspend Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano in view of alleged anomalies surrounding the demolition of unused buildings here to raise funds from scraps for donation to Aeta communities.

The petition was filed in August last year by Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Jerry Pelayo, who also filed a graft case against Luciano and other CIAC officials, saying the demolished buildings were usable and were worth no less than P100 million.

Pelayo said some P33 million was reportedly raised from the sale of scraps but a much smaller amount was said to have accrued to the Aetas, adding that Luciano also failed to show proof that the proceeds from the sale were actually donated to the Aetas.

Seventeen buildings built by the Americans when the US air force base was still here but damaged by ash fall from Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, were demolished early last year within the areas covered by the aviation complex under CIAC. Two Aeta associations had sought the permission of the Arroyo administration for the demolitions.

In a press statement, CIAC said the Ombudsman denied Pelayo’s petition to suspend Luciano as it “found the management (of CIAC) followed processes based on directives from Malacañang and that the self-appointed fact finding committee was not competent to determine whether questioned buildings were serviceable or not.”

The Ombudsman was referring to a committee composed of members of the CIAC board, most of whom have already been replaced by President Aquino.

“CIAC management led by Luciano and other CIAC managers merely followed legal processes as shown by the corresponding endorsements of CIAC management and their own Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditor,” the CIAC statement said.

The CIAC statement added that “the Aeta associations acknowledged the donations” and that the donations were “used by most of their members in buying food and medicines.”

“Some of the proceeds were also used in the improvement of their school and day cay centers,” the statement added.

CIAC also noted that demolition permits had been issued by the Clark Development Corporation’s building, utilities and regulatory department before the structures were dismantled.