Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday vowed to improve the Clark International Airport and to develop Angeles into a metropolitan city. MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday night vowed to improve the capacity of the Clark International Airport here, saying it was abandoned by the Aquino administration because it was named after the father of former-President Gloria Arroyo.
“Malungkot po ito. Sa parte ng pamamahala, dapat isasantabi yung galit, isasantabi mo yung emosyon,” Binay said in a speech at the Angeles City Hall, where he accused the Aquino government of failing to utilize the capacity of the Clark Airport for political reasons.
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Pampanga is the home province of Arroyo, who is under hospital detention over allegations she used P366 million in intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for personal gain from 2008 to 2010.
Binay said even Pampanga Rep. Yeng Guiao pleaded to him to transfer at least 10 percent of the country’s flights to Clark Airport.
“Dito hindi masyadong magamit ang airport, Nasa tabi ko so Vice Gov Guiao. Sabi niya, vice pwede ba pakibigyan mo kami maski 10 porsyento lamang ng mga lumilipad at magamit itong aming Clark,” Binay said.
“Sabi ko 10 porsyento lang e ang laki ng potensyal nito. Sabi ko bakit? Bakit hindi ibigay sa inyo ang inyong pakiusap? Eh ito ho kasi ang pangalan ng airport niyo dito ay Diosdado Macapagal,” Binay added.
Binay vowed that his administration would not be vindictive and would be a “healing” and “unifying” president.
“Tama na. Gusto ko po ang aking administrasyon … is a healing and unifying administration,” he said.
Binay said if he were president, he would have spent the billions for the conduct of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) last year to build a new community in Pampanga, in a bid to ease the horrendous Metro Manila traffic.
“Kung ako nga lang po ay pangulo, yung APEC na ginastos na bilyong bilyong piso dapat ay gagatusin ko na yun para sa pangunahin o pundasyon ng paggawa ng bagong komunidad dito sa inyong lugar,” Binay said.
He said he wanted to turn Angeles into a metropolitan city because it was already complete with an airport facility.
“Sa mga pagkakataon pag tinatanong ako lalo na sa problema sa traffic, sabi ko kailangan na magtayo po tayo ng bagong komunidad. At ang iniisip kong gawing bagong komunidad dito po sa inyo sa Clark dito sa Angeles. Mayroon na po kayong airport dito. Kumpleto na po kayo sa facilities dito,” Binay said.
Binay said the underuse of Clark airport is a manifestation of the present administration’s underspending.
“Itong Clark Airport ay underused. Sa bagay itong administrasyon na ito, guilty of underuse and underspending,” he said.
Clark International Airport was renamed Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in 2003 during the Arroyo administration
The name was reverted to Clark Airport because foreign pilots found the new name difficult to pronounce.
Meanwhile, bills have been filed in Congress seeking to rename Clark Airport after the late president Corazon Aquino, mother of President Benigno Aquino.