An advocacy group asked the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and Congress to launch a full investigation into the P1.5-trillion public-private partnership (PPP) deal for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) awarded to the San Miguel-led New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC).
The group, PUSO ng NAIA (Pagkakaisa ng mga Users, Stakeholders at Obrero ng NAIA), said the concession agreement between the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and NNIC exhibits “unmistakable signs of corruption and tailor-fitted provisions favoring private interest,” warning that the deal could cost taxpayers billions.
PUSO ng NAIA said that a year after the contract’s award, there have been “no major improvement[s]… only the burden of new and excessive airport fees.”
PUSO ng NAIA, in an open letter to the ICI, outlined several grounds for their request for a probe. The group noted certain sections of the agreement (24.3.2, 24.5, 24.5.1, 27.1.3, and 31) that allegedly allow NNIC to impose “non-regulated fees,” granting the private corporation near-unchecked power to raise charges without government approval.
This, the group said, risks an excessive financial burden on travelers and transfers regulatory authority away from the state. The group warned the public could be “milked for 25 years” through guaranteed higher airport costs.
PUSO ng NAIA also alleged that San Miguel’s bid was far higher than competing offers, which they view as an “anomaly echoing patterns of rigged or non-competitive bidding.”
They also noted a lack of transparency due to redacted contract disclosures and limited stakeholder consultation.
The group raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, citing the professional and/or business ties between San Miguel president Ramon Ang and former and current DOTr officials, including former Transportation Secretaries Jaime Bautista and Vince Dizon, and current DOTr scting Secretary Giovanni Lopez.
PUSO ng NAIA said this overlap raises serious questions about whether undue influence shaped NNIC’s selection.
The group accused NNIC and MIAA of violating the contract’s transparency and accountability provisions by failing to hire an independent consultant to ensure project compliance and fair oversight before commencing activities. They called this a “clear violation of the concession agreement.”
The group also urged the ICI to conduct a full investigation, examine all public officials involved for possible violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, audit the legality of “non-regulated fees,” and suspend implementation activities until an independent consultant is properly engaged.
They also challenged Congress to “redeem public trust” by siding with Filipino air passengers.
