Court of Appeals steps into NAIA-Paranaque row

The Court of Appeals stopped yesterday Parañaque City from closing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for its failure to pay P650 million in realty tax to the city government.

The appellate court’s temporary restraining order prevented the airport management from deploying hundreds of its policemen and security personnel around the airport perimeter to thwart any move to close the airport runway.

Parañaque City government officials had threatened to forcibly close the airport runway because of the failure of NAIA to comply with its repeated demands to settle its tax obligations.

The threat came as a result of the move of Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez to auction a portion of the NAIA that belongs to the city government in order to raise P1 billion in revenues.

In a minute resolution penned by Associate Conrado Vasquez, the court enjoined officials of the city government from proceeding with the intended sale or auction of the property until the case is resolved.

Marquez had scheduled the auction of the NAIA yesterday, and had subsequently threatened to close its runway if it failed to attract bidders.

Airport General Manager Edgardo Manda said they would resist all attempts to close the airport runway by outsiders, adding that such a move would jeopardize the travel of some 50,000 passengers who daily use the airport.

Manda also added that the airport management is duty-bound to ensure the safety and unhampered activities of departing and arriving passengers and, therefore, would resist any attempt to close the airport runway.

Manda also said that it is only the court that can decide whether or not NAIA should pay taxes to the Parañaque City government.

"There is nothing we can do. They (NAIA administration) managed to get one (order), we will just have to fight it in court," said Patricio Asoy, the executive legal adviser of Marquez. Marquez is still out of the country.

Asoy said though that they will file a motion to lift the TRO (temporary restraining order) on Monday. – Rey Arquiza and Jose Aravilla