Marcos appoints new MIAA acting general manager

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed an acting general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) replacing Cesar Chiong.

A letter signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said Eric Jose Castro Ines has been appointed MIAA acting general manager and member of board of directors.

The letter was dated December 15, 2023. 

The Office of the Ombudsman in August ordered the dismissal of Chiong and MIAA assistant general manager Irene Montalbo for grave misconduct, abuse of authority and misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The Ombudsman’s decision stemmed from the reassignment of around 285 MIAA employees in less than a year without basis and designation of Montalbo to her post despite her unsatisfactory rating as shown in the 2020 Office Performance Commitment and Review (OPCR) of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, the office which she headed.

Both Chiong and Montalbo were preventively suspended by the Ombudsman in April this year. —KBK, GMA Integrated News