No diversion of P13-B air traffic system fund in Tugade's term, says ex-DOTr exec

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the leadership of former Secretary Arthur Tugade never received P13 billion funds in 2018 for the communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system, a former transportation official said Wednesday.

In a virtual interview with GMA Integrated News, former DOTr Undersecretary for Administration Services Artemio Tuazon Jr. denied the report of Bilyonaryo.com which stated that Tugade had allegedly diverted the P13 billion funds given by Congress in 2018 supposedly for the CNS/ATM for other purposes such as  the installation of electronic billboards and the concreting of parking spaces outside the NAIA terminals.

Tuazon explained that the CNS/ATM was funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Congress only allocated P122 million for the maintenance and the administration of the system.

"Ang CNS/ATM ay funded ng JICA. The funding was for 10.8 billion pesos. Meron lang pong maliit na portion doon na participation ng Philippine government. So there is no truth that there’s a P13 billion budget for the CNS/ATM," he said.

(The CNS/ATM was funded by JICA. The funding for it was P10.8 billion. There was just a small portion of funds that should be funded by the Philippine government. So there's no truth that there's P13 billion budget for the CNS/ATM)

"Taong 2018 ang budget na binigay ng gobyerno para sa CAAP for the CNS/ATM was only P122 million. Precisely for admin and maintenance lang. Nowhere po na binigyan kami ng P13 billion for the year 2018 or anytime thereafter hanggang sa bumaba kami sa position nung June 2022," he added.

(In 2018, the budget that was given by the government to CAAP for the CNS/ATM was only P122 million. This is used for admin and maintenance only. We were never given P13 billion for the year 2019 or anytime thereafter until we stepped down from office in June 2022.)

Under the 2018 national budget posted on the Department of Budget and Management's website, the new CNS/ATM systems development project was allocated with 122.273 million.

Tuazon, who is part of Tugade's legal counsel, said the former secretary was not answering to the allegations because the latter doesn't want to dignify the "misleading" report.

"Si Sec. Art Tugade, kung mapapansin niyo, hindi siya nagsasalita regarding this kasi alam niyang hindi totoo yung mga accusations at tsaka 'yung mga allegations. Ayaw niya na i-dignify 'yung mga yon," he said.

(Sec. Art Tugade does not want to talk about the issue because he knows that there is no truth in these accusations and allegations. He doesn't want to dignify the report.)
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"It is really very simple, kung sinasabing may P13 billion tingnan niyo 'yung [General Appropriations Act], tingnan niyo 'yung [National Expenditures Program]. Pag may nakita, then probably he has to explain, but there is none. Sa kanya, he has nothing to answer for because there is really nothing. It’s all conjecture on the part of the people who are breaking out this information and it is very misleading. It is a form of misinformation for the people," he added.

(You can look at the GAA and the NEP if they are claiming that there was P13 billion that was allocated to the DOTr. If there's an actual allocation there, then probably he has to explain it but there's none. For him,  he has nothing to answer for because there is really nothing. It’s all conjecture on the part of the people who are breaking out this information and it is very misleading. It is a form of misinformation for the people.)

Tugade's legal team had already recommended filing charges over the "malicious journalism," Tuazon added.

"Right now, we are really reviewing everything that has happened. We are looking at legal options for the secretary and personally I recommended to the secretary that we find a justifiable cause to file an action...against these people for their malicious journalism," he said.

Although the former leadership of the DOTr denied the report, Tuazon said that Tugade is willing to face the congressional inquiries into the fiasco that happened at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on New Year's Day.

"Si [former] Secretary Art Tugade wala pong tinatago. Alam niya pong everything was aboveboard. Si [former] Secretary Tugade is a lawyer. 'Yung sinasabi nilang nagja-juggle ng funds, that’s technical malversation which can be punishable by imprisonment," he said.

(Former Secretary Art Tugade has nothing to hide. He knows that everything was aboveboard. He is a lawyer. He knows that the said juggling of funds is technical malversation which can be punishable by imprisonment.)

"Being a lawyer, I don't think that he will do that [because] he knows that he can be imprisoned for that. Hindi naman po tanga ang aming secretary before (Our secretary is not a fool)," he added.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday said Tugade must face the Senate probe to shed light on the reports that the latter allegedly diverted funds that were supposedly for the CNS/ATM.

At least five resolutions were already filed in the Senate which seek an investigation into the fiasco that happened in the country's main gateway last January 1.

Further, Tuazon appealed to his former colleagues at the DOTr to stop the blame game on the incident as he claimed that the current CAAP officials are the same people who recommended the CNS/ATM to be established during Tugade's term as Transportation secretary.

"The very same people who are accusing our administration, kami nila Sec. Tugade, were the same people who implemented and recommended to the secretary the CNS/ATM. Sila po ang nag-recommend kay Sec. Tugade ng project na ito. Sila rin po ang nag-implement ng project," he said.

Tuazon mentioned CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo —who was the DOTr undersecretary for aviation during the Duterte adminsitration —former CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco, and Danjun Lucas, who served as Sydionco's chief of staff.

"That’s why it is so funny that they are pointing to us because when they point to us, they are actually pointing to themselves kasi sila ang nag-recommend nyan. Sila ang nag-implement ng project. Sana wala nang turuan na ganon. Just address the problems," Tuazon said.

"You don't address the problem of the [uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)]  by buying a new system. UPS lang ang problema. At the same time gusto nila address the system...tapos i-privatize. Bakit na lang hindi private entity ang bibili nyan, pagastusin natin? Gagastos ang bayan at ang taumbayan ng bilyon bilyon tapos ipapasa mo lang private entity para sila ang kumita. Para sa akin hindi tama yon," he said.

Hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers were affected by a power outage at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) on Sunday.

In a press conference late Sunday,  Tamayo said that one of the UPS failed on Sunday morning, and troubleshooting activities had to be done.

Once the system was reconnected to the power supply, however, warnings were released at around lunch time due to over voltage as 380 volts were coming in instead of 220 volts. This then affected the very small aperture terminal (VSAT), which also had to be addressed.

"As what was mentioned, medyo luma na 'to [It is quite old]. Like anything mechanical, electrical, we cannot give you any assurances [that it will not happen again]," Tamayo earlier said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News