Contractors ‘need to be answerable’ for damage at Clark airport — Gatchalian

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that shook parts of Luzon on Monday, April 22, 2019, damaged portions of the Clark International Airport (Contributed photos)

MANILA, Philippines — Contractors of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga “need to be answerable” for damage incurred by the facility following the strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake on April 22.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian made this call as he noted the considerable damage suffered by Clark Airport when he said the facility should withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

“They should be liable,” Gatchalian said in a Kapihan in Manila Bay forum when asked if contractors should be accountable for the international airport’s “huge damage.”

“It’s a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, a building calls to withstand 8.0-magnitude earthquake. Bakit at 6.1, nakita ko, ang laki ng damage? It seems to me na ang laki ng damage,” the senator also said.

Gatchalian likewise pointed out the thousands of passengers affected by the numerous flights that were cancelled during the airport closure.

“An airport is a vital installation, 1,00+ flights got canceled. Almost 200,0000 passengers got stranded. Just imagine OFWs, uuwi na para sa kanilang trabaho eh napinsala lahat,” he said.

“So the contractors need to be answerable to this,” he added.

Photographs showed extensive damage in Clark Airport’s passenger departure area, which ceiling has collapsed due to the impact of the quake.

The airport’s control tower also got its glass panel broken although the facility’s runway was not damaged by Monday afternoon’s temblor.

READ: Clark International Airport heavily damaged by quake

Clark Airport is set to resume its operations by Wednesday afternoon, the Clark International Airport Corp. said.

READ: Clark International Airport resuming operations Wednesday afternoon

/kga