Sonny: No need to transfer Mactan airport

THERE is no need for the transfer of the Mactan Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City to Cordova town.

Former senator Sonny Osmeña said the suggestion to move the airport was “stupid, plain and simple.”

“There is no need to transfer the airport as it stands right now on Mactan Island because we have spent, maybe easily P30 billion  for that airport,” Osmeña said

He said Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoty, who proposed the airport’s  transfer, “doesn’t know what he is talking about.”

“Cordova will have to reclaim land to build an airport. You have to build a runway; you have to build a terminal. You have to build all the infrastructures necessary,” Osmeña told Cebu Daily News.

“Mactan is not yet crowded.”

Osmeña said in the original design of MCIA, there is a “second runway that has been built parallel to the existing one.

He said  the proposal to bring MCIA to Cordova is the “proposal of people who want to profit again from reclamation projects.”

Sitoy presented a proposal to transfer MCIA to Cordova town last week.

The Cordova reclamation project is being undertaken by the Cebu Provincial Government.

“There are people in Cebu who make a lot of money from reclamation projects,” he said.

“If they can justify it which I think they cannot and I’m sure they can’t, it will take, you know the SRP was started by Eddie Gullas in 1980 when he was governor of Cebu. And it was only completed in the time of President (Fidel) Ramos in 1995. So, you’re talking of 15 years. So, are we going to do that all over again?” he added.

He also criticized Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña for supporting the proposal of Mayor Sitoy.

“Do you think that all the suggestions of Congressman Osmeña are good ideas?” he asked.

“Look at the  SRP (South Reclamation Project). What happened to it? Only birds land there.”

The former senator said  he will deal with the SRP when Rep.  Osmeña again  becomes mayor of Cebu City.