The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to hold this January the preliminary investigation (PI) of the complaint filed against Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Stave Dicdican and 15 others.
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento revealed on Monday, Dec. 14, that he has already assigned the case to a prosecutor who will be conducting the preliminary investigation.
“Just assigned it,” Malcontento said.
“Sa January na ang PI niyan (The assigned prosecutor will conduct the PI this January),” he disclosed.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed the complaint before the NBI last Nov. 26 following investigation conducted by its Anti-Fraud Division (NBI-AFD) over reports of alleged violation of Commonwealth Act No. 108, Anti-Dummy Law, concerning the concession deal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
Aside from Dicdican, also named as respondents in the complaint are Filipino and foreign executives of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp (GMCAC).
The Filipinos executives of GMCAC are Manuel Louie Ferrer, Edgar Saavedra, Oliver Tan, and JZ dela Cruz.
The foreign executives of GMCAC who have been named as respondents are Indian Srivinas Bommidala, Singaporean P. Sripathy, Indian Videk Singhai, Ghanian Andrew Acquaah-Harrison, Indian Ravi Bhatnagar, Indian Ravishankar Saravu, Irish Michael Lenane, Indian Sudarshan MD, Indian Kumar Gaurav, Indian Magesh Nambiar, and Indian Rajesh Madan.
“Evidence submitted by the complainant and gathered by the investigators showed that the foreign nationals were actually performing executive and managerial positions,” the NBI earlier said in a statement.
GMCAC, a consortium between Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Group., won the P14.4 billion bid for the 25-year concession for the operation and management of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
“The concession is for the expansion and operation of MCIA which consists of the construction of a new passenger terminal with all associated infrastructure facilities; rehabilitation and expansion of the existing terminal along with all associated infrastructure and facilities; installation of the required information technology and other equipment commensurate with the operations; and operation and maintenance of both passenger terminals during the concession period,” the NBI explained.
Though Megawide is company incorporated under Philippine laws, the NBI said “GMR Group is a foreign infrastructure company.”
“The complainant stressed that the subjects conspired, connived, colluded, schemed and acted together to violate the 1987 Constitution and the Anti-Dummy Law,” the NBI cited.
“The complainant added that based on the evidence, the MCIA is operated, administered, and managed by non-Filipinos more particularly by an Irish, a Ghanaian and several Indians who have profound control, enjoyment, and control over a Philippine public utility, with the knowledge and approval of the Filipino officers of MCIAA and GMCAC among whom are the subjects Dicdican, Saavedra, Ferrer, Tan, and Cruz,” it added.