Robredo ask the President's office: Why no budget for Naga Airport's upgrade?

Vice President Leni Robredo sent a letter to the Office of the President to shed light regarding the status of the Naga Airport improvement after it was excluded in the budget of 2017 and 2018.

She said that a letter of request for a meeting with Secretary Arthur Tugade also fell on deaf ears.

Robredo added that the administration was able to allocate budget for an airport in San Jose, Camarines Sur but there were no more funds given for Naga Airport in two consecutive years.

“We also wrote the President, but there was no response yet to our letter,” Robredo said in Filipino.

Reports said that Robredo initially asked the Department of Transportation prior to OP to give light on the said issue since the Airport in San Jose did not go through the Regional Development Council (RDC) and also not with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

Robredo said that just like the OP, she did not get any response as well from DOTr, like how her attempts to meet with Tugade fell in the past year.

“For me, we only seek answers for these: Why we did not know there will be a new airport at Partido? Why is that there is no budget now for the Naga Airport? Why is that a big project did not pass through RDC, NEDA?” Robredo said.

In 2015, NEDA approved the reorientation and extension of Naga Airport’s current runway and also the rehabilitation of its terminal, but San Jose has no approved budget then.

San Jose Airport has a proposed budget of P1.14 billion, and once completed, it will the second airport in Camarines Sur.

Robredo added that she also requested for another briefing related to the Philippine National Railway’s Bicol Express, which was another project set by Duterte administration.

“They were not able to explain why the arrangements were changed.” Robredo said, hoping to get her request granted for a second briefing.

Source: Manila Bulletin