City officials silent over airport row
Miaque's brother Ronnie leads the
resumption of their pay parking business
which caused tension as the guards of
the Air Transportation Office(ATO)
showed some resistance. Picture shows
Miaque's guards guiding vehicles
passing in front of the airport which is
also being intercepted by ATO guards.
Nothing was heard from city government officials pertaining to the tension that erupted at the Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao district last Friday despite the threat earlier issued by Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief Allan Java that airport operations may be suspended if the peace and order situation deteriorates.
Not even the shadow of Vice Mayor Guillermo de Llana, who is now acting as the city mayor and Councilor Jed Mabilog, chair of the committee on trade and commerce were seen at the Iloilo Airport when tension sparked after concessionaire Bernie Miaque resumed the operation of his paid parking and carwash businesses.
De la Llana took over the helm after Mayor Jerry Treñas went to New York, USA for a study on sustainable development.
Businessman Bernie Miaque confers
with police senior superintendents
(from left) Norlito Bautista (Director,
Iloilo City Police Office), Wesley
Barayuga (Chief, Regional Operations
and Plant Division) and Isagani Cuevas
(Deputy Regional Director for Operations)
after the resumption of the former's
business interest at the Iloilo Airport in
Mandurriao district last Friday, May 5 as
ordered by the Court of Appeals 18th
Division. With Miaque is his lawyer
Tranquilino Gale (left).
The 12 other members of the city council who were bubbly in several issues affecting the city also opted to keep their silence. Not even one of them dared to comment on the issue or intervened to ease the tension.
Java, in a radio interview last Friday, said he might recommend the suspension of airport operation should peace and order becomes uncontrollable. He said it is the last and final option he has in order to diffuse the tension brought about by the resumption of Miaque's businesses.
Miaque was armed with a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) Special 18th Division dated April 21,2006 and further clarified in a May 3, 2006 resolution issued by the same court when it resumed his paid parking and car wash business last Friday.
ATO upon orders from their counsels at the Office of the Solicitor General contested the CA resolution which started the conflict.
An ATO official could call for the suspension of airport operation should safety and security in the airport deteriorates, there is imminent danger such as bomb threat, obstruction in the runway and in case of fire or calamities, said Java.
Java added the authority to call for the suspension of airport operation will depend on the appreciation of the ATO official particularly if it involves safety and security of the facility, airplane and passengers.
Because of the tension, Java immediately sent advisories to the three airline companies notifying them that he has already lost control of the airport parking area and that he may suspend the airport operation if the tension continues.
Until afternoon of the next day (Saturday) however airport operations remain undisrupted as the tension between the guards of ATO and Miaque cooled down.