New NAIA-3 panel chair named

MANILA, Philippines - A Pasay judge has finally appointed a new chairman of the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport)-Terminal 3 Commission after the last one who held the post resigned.

The commission is tasked to determine the just compensation the Philippine International Air Terminals Company Inc. (Piatco) ought to receive from the government in line with the expropriation of the NAIA-Terminal 3.

In a two-page order, Judge Eugenio dela Cruz of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) said, “After going over the background and qualifications of the nominees submitted by the plaintiff, without opposition on the part of the defendant Piatco, the court hereby appoints engineer Adam Abinales as the new chairman of the commission.”

Abinales is said to have organized an engineering and consultancy firm named after him.

Earlier, the government submitted five nominees to replace Dr. Fiorello Estuar, who resigned as NAIA-3 commission chairman, citing “conflict of interest” on his part.

Estuar said his colleagues in First Balfour Inc. informed him that their company is a bidder in the proposed selection of contractors for the NAIA-3 completion, testing and commissioning project.

Estuar, who is vice chairman and chief executive officer, said that “in the opening of pre-qualification documents, the application of First Balfour passed the initial evaluation checklist with two notations and is now under consideration by the NAIA bids and awards committee.”

De la Cruz, in his order, noted that the two original members, Angelo Panganiban and lawyer Alfonso Tan Jr., did not resign. He directed the commissioners to conduct sessions at least twice a week and make a report of all their proceedings on or before Dec. 15.

Meanwhile, the court directed Estuar to turn over to the commission all the books, records and money pertaining to the panel.

Before De la Cruz took over hearing the case, it was Judge Jesus Mupas who affirmed the appointment of DG Jones and Partners to undertake the requisite appraisal of the NAIA-Terminal 3.

DG Jones and Partners Philippines submitted its proposed appraisal fee of $1.9 million to finally ascertain the just compensation for Piatco.

In September 2006, the Pasay RTC released the “writ of possession” after the government paid an initial P3 billion to Piatco to set the stage for the full government control of NAIA-3.

The government took over NAIA-3 in December 2004 shortly after the Supreme Court nullified its build-operate-transfer contract with Piatco.