Sergio Osmeña III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Only the chartered planes of Senator Edgardo Angara and his family have allegedly used the airstrip developed in a 12,000-hectare economic zone now being built in Aurora province, a senator said on Tuesday.
The airstrip was part of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (Apeco) being funded by the government.
Senator Sergio Osmeña III said the government spent almost P2 billion since Apeco’s creation in 2007. Angara was the author of the bill that created Apeco.
But five years after, Osmeña said no single locator had invested in the Aurora economic zone.
In fact, he said, only Angara’s chartered planes have so far used the airstrip developed using the Apeco fund. The money spent to develop the airport, he said, was P200 million.
“They spent about P200 million of national money. So last year after having spent that budget, I asked: Your airport has been completed and what’s the schedule of flights? The answer of the general manager? ‘None, sir,’” Osmeña said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“So those using the airport are the chartered planes of the members of the Angara family showing to one or two businessmen the economic potential of this area,” he said.
Asked if the airport was built for private use of the Angaras, Osmeña said: “No but it seems they used government money to build an airport and nobody uses the airport except when he brings his so called investors na wala namang investors (who are non-existent).”
Osmeña also claimed that the Apeco management is being controlled by the Angara family.
He said Angara’s son, Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara, is a member of the Apeco board of directors while the senator’s sister, Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, is ex-officio member.
“This (Apeco) is a creation of Angara. The members of the board are recommended and appointed by Angara,” Osmeña said.
“The son who is a congressman is automatically a member of the Apeco board of directors. The governor who is also his sister is also automatically ex officio board member. So right away two out of the five are the relatives,’ he said.
“It’s totally controlled,” Osmeña said of the Apeco composition.
Sought for comment, Representative Angara admitted that he is an ex-officio member of the Apeco board but quick to say that it was provided for under the law.
“Under the law, the representative is one of (board) members,” he said in a text message.
Osmeña, who is against the establishment of freeports in the country, has joined calls to scrap government’s funding of Apeco.