More official inspections at NAIA-3 scheduled

The commission tasked to determine the amount of just compensation for the Philippine International Air Terminal Inc. Corp. (Piatco) for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) said yesterday that the government is set to conduct more official inspections at the mothballed facility.

"We deem it proper that the examination to be conducted on the facility should be more strict and should be done section by section, so that we will be able to come up with concrete observations and start working on our report," Engineer Fiorello Estuar said.

An occular inspection of the structure was conducted by the commission, Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC)-Branch 117 Judge Jesus Mupas and staff, and officials of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) last Tuesday.

Estuar said, however, that it was simply a familiarization visit.

He said the May 22 deadline set by the Pasay Court for them to submit their report should be extended.

"I don’t think we will be able to meet the deadline. There are many legal issues that should be resolved first in court before we can come up with an assessment," he said.

Estuar added that they need to seek assistance from experts in their inspections. "We will basically engage in a technical type of examination since the NAIA-3 is a technical project and consulting other experts to check the structural soundness of the facility is imperative," the commissioner added.

Estuar, a structural engineer and a former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), is one of the three members of the team created to resolve the issue of just compensation.

The two other members are Sofronio Ursal and Angelo Panganiban. Ursal is formerly with the Commission on Audit while Panganiban, an aeronautical engineer, used to be a Philippine Air Force pilot.

The inspection of the structure aims to help the three commissioners determine the approprite compensation for the expropriation of NAIA-3.

The Pasay RTC, on March 27, ordered MIAA officials to immediately withdraw the P3 billion deposited at the Land Bank of the Philippines to be paid to Piatco before the government can finally take full possession of the property.

However, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a motion arguing that the payment of "just compensation" to Piatco is unwarranted and unjustified as the structural integrity of the project is being questioned following the collapse of the 80-square-meter section of the terminal’s ceiling.

The OSG likewise said that a thorough investigation of the facility is necessary as they would not want to compromise public safety once it becomes operational.