MANILA, Philippines — Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Cesar Chiong was placed on preventive suspension due to an anonymous grave abuse of authority complaint.
Chiong said he received the suspension order from the Ombudsman dated April 28 on Tuesday.
“Today, I received an Order dated 28 April 2023 from the Ombudsman ordering my preventive suspension, for previously reassigning certain MIAA employees as part of my effort to improve airport operations,” said Chiong in a statement.
“The Order was based on an anonymous complaint alleging grave abuse of authority,” he added.
Chiong, however, said that he remains confident of being “vindicated and cleared” once he is allowed to present his side.
“The country’s main airport faces extremely difficult challenges, and we have started to implement plans and programs that aim to enhance passenger experience at our country’s main gateway,” said Chiong.
“The finances of MIAA have vastly improved without any government subsidy in the short stint that I have been at its helm. Putting MIAA in good financial stead is one of my visions. There are others that are just as critical. But for now, I need to focus on the legal issue at hand,” he added.
Chiong’s preventive suspension came just a day after a power outage struck the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3.