Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea finds nothing wrong with the Philippines' partnering up with a Chinese construction firm in connection with the $10-billion expansion of the Sangley Airport International Airport.
This, despite the foreign company's blacklist status by the United States (US), something that opposition solon, Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Ferdinand Gaite pointed out during a budget briefing Monday by the House Committee on Appropriations.
"Hindi dahil bi-nan na sila ng US (ang contractor) ay iba-ban na natin sila dito sa Pilipinas. Mayroon naman tayong sariling soberanidad. Tignan natin yan at bigyan natin sila ng due process in line with the independent foreign policy of government (Being banned by the US doesn't mean that the contractor must also be banned here in the Philippines. We have our own sovereignty. We will look into that and give them due process in line with the independent foreign policy of government)," Medialdea said.
It was late last year when China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC) and Philippine's Macroasia Corp. won the bidding for the Sangley Airport project. The expansion effort at the Cavite airport was designed to relieve some of the stress perennially being incurred at the country's existing airport terminals.
"Hindi lang po Estados Unidos ang nag-blacklist na dito. Ultimo ang World Bank, ang IMF (International Monetary Fund) na kadalasan nga po ay sila ang nagpo-provide ng infrastructure and developmental programs (It is not only the US that has blacklisted it. Even the World Bank and IMF, which provides for infrastructure and developmental programs, have done so)," Gaite told the Palace official.
Gaite said the CCCC was among the Chinese firms that have been flagged for "fradulent practices" by these international bodies.
The Makabayan congressman noted that Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Foreign Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. himself earlier recommended the termination of the contract based on reports the Beijing firm was allegedly involved in reclamation projects in the West Philippine Sea. This was later retracted.
"Yung intrusion sa ating (The intrusions to our) Exclusive Econonic Zone (EEZ) is a major concern," he further said, referring to the maritime territorial issue between Manila and Beijing.
However, Medialdea downplayed the US blacklisting of Chinese firms and insinuated that it was political in nature.
"Alam niyo po, yung mga listahan na yan (You know, that list) only came out when the election season came about in the United States. Hindi naman po dahil sa iyan ang kagustuhan nila, susunod na rin tayo dyan (Just because that's what they want to do means that we should follow suit)," he said.
Reiterating that the Philippines has an independent foreign policy, he said: "We should do it on our own. Rest assured that we will look into this from now on."
Appropriations panel chairman, ACT-CIS Party-List Rep. Eric Go Yap agreed with Medialdea's take and said, "Mayroon tayong sovereignty at talagang ang Philippines ay independent pa rin (We have sovereignty and the Philippines is still independent)."
Gaite said that government, at the very least, should investigate the claims against CCCC.