CAAP whistle-blower transferred to Palawan

MANILA, Philippines - A special investigator, who exposed alleged anomalies at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), has been transferred to Puerto Princesa Airport.

Cesar Lucero, vice president and spokesperson for the CAAP Employees Union (CAAP-EU), was also relieved of his duties as special investigator at the CAAP Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS), by CAAP director general Ramon Gutierrez.

The order for Lucero’s transfer was dated Sept. 15.

Lucero said he will comply with the transfer order, but will file a case before the Civil Service Commission. He said Gutierrez’s move was obviously meant to silence and prevent him from exposing more irregularities allegedly being perpetrated by the CAAP chief along with President Aquino’s other appointees in the agency.

Lucero has reported several alleged questionable transactions by CAAP officials in his letters to Malacanang.

“My transfer to Puerto Princesa is arbitrary, illogical and unnecessary,” Lucero said.

Lucero also urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to conduct an investigation on the appointments made by Gutierrez at the CSIS.

Gutierrez for his part said Lucero’s exposes were mostly baseless accusations, and only destroy the image of the agency.

Lucero had bared in behalf of the CAAP-EU, the safety concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization on the Philippines’ civil aviation systems on December 2009, regarding the country’s continuing failure to address compliance with international civil aviation safety and security standards.

Lucero also filed numerous cases of alleged graft during the time of former CAAP director general Ruben Ciron, during the previous administration.