Laguindingan airport chief defies CAAP shake up

MANILA, Philippines -  The manager of the newly opened airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental  is defying an order of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for his transfer to  the central office in Pasay City, his lawyer said yesterday.

Alizedney Ditucalan, counsel for Naga Rascal, told The STAR that the reshuffle order issued by CAAP officer-in-charge Capt. John Andrews runs counter to a law creating CAAP.

Rascal was the former manager of Lumbia airport in Cagayan de Oro, which was shut down. He was transferred to Laguindingan aiport in Misamis Oriental.

“The transfer order is null and void,” he said.

Ditucalan said Andrews has no authority to order the reshuffle and restructuring in the agency without the approval of the Civil Aviation Board. He said the restructuring was without the approval of the Department of Budget and Management, and would affect the disbursement of the airport’s funds.

Documents obtained by The STAR showed Andrews cited Authority Order 138-13 from the CAAP director general in ordering the reshuffle and restructuring of the CAAP areas of operations.

CAAP spokesman Gen. Artemio Orosco confirmed that Rascal, who has been reassigned to the central office  in Pasay City, remains in Laguindingan airport but his successor is the one running the operations.

Ditucalan said Rascal refused to yield his post and continues to perform his job as airport manager. He said they would seek a court injunction against the transfer and reshuffle order.

“The operation of Laguindingan airport is normal,” Orosco said adding he welcomes the filing of charges. He said the reshuffle and restructuring of the airports were in accordance with the law and covers all CAAP-controlled airports nationwide. – Perseus Echeminada, Rudy Santos