CAAP executive says boss wants him out

MANILA, Philippines - A top official of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines accused yesterday CAAP director general Ruben Ciron of trying to ease him out of the newly created agency.

Daniel Dimagiba, CAAP deputy director general for operations, said Ciron was masterminding a campaign to block the absorption of former Air Transportation Office (ATO) technical officers into the CAAP.

“He is pushing for his friends — his fellow retired military officers — to be hired as consultants of the CAAP,” he said.

“But these people do not have civil aviation expertise and training. The people that should be hired in the CAAP are the organic personnel of the former ATO who have civil aviation training and expertise.”

Dimagiba said he will file charges against Ciron.

“I am the highest organic personnel of the former ATO. I have led the efforts to draw up the CAAP bill which has been passed into law and is now Republic Act 9497, drawing on my 20 years in the ATO as a licensed aeronautics engineer, licensed aircraft maintenance inspector, and ground officer.

Dimagiba said the allegations that he issued an Air Carrier Operating Certificate (ACOC) to Sky Aviation Services, Inc. on Aug. 1, 2008 was misleading.

“I only issued a renewal of the ACOC as an OIC (officer-in-charge),” he said .

“The ACOC had been issued by my predecessor. In issuing the renewal, my task was merely ministerial since the assumption is that they were already compliant with all the requirements since they have already been issued the ACOC.”

Dimagiba said Ciron’s announcement that he will be investigated for alleged grave misconduct is a “demolition job” to ease him out and his other “organic” officers from the CAAP.

“Those charges have no basis,” he said. – Rainier Allan Ronda