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Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Sept. 7 that the Philippine Navy had been asked to abandon the Sangley Point strategic base, once a US naval base, in Cavite province to serve the construction of the international airport project. Sangley Point (SPIA) is worth 500 billion pesos (10.28 billion dollars). This project aims to alleviate congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila.
Philippine Navy Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo expressed concern about the project with the participation of China Communication Construction Corporation (CCCC). This is one of the companies recently sanctioned by the United States for its participation in the illegal construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
The Sangley Point International Airport proposed by Cavite, a populous province south of Manila Bay, is a joint venture project between CCCC and MacroAsia Aviation Services Corporation (Philippines). Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the green light to blacklisted Chinese companies involved in infrastructure projects in the Philippines.
The Philippine Navy builds on the base on which China plans to build an airport. Photo: Filipino Resources
Immediately after the announcement of the inclusion of some Chinese companies in the commercial blacklist of the United States, the Philippine Foreign Minister, Teodoro Locsin Jr, announced that he proposed to terminate the contracts with these companies, but then postponed it due to the president. they want to promote infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, Bacordo said the Philippine navy wants to maintain its presence at Sangley Point. “We want to maintain a presence there to make sure there are no security breaches,” Bacordo explained.
Also according to this vice admiral, Sangley Point allows the Philippine Navy to monitor and deploy. It is located at the entrance to Manila Bay, which is the focus of the government because if Manila falls, the entire Philippines will collapse. “We are not against the project. The project can continue. We can coexist at Sangley Point without necessarily making us leave,” Bacordo added.
In February of this year, Mr. Duterte opened Sangley Airport with a 2.4 km long runway used for general aviation and cargo transportation. Related infrastructure, such as train stations, hangars and drainage systems, will be built by the end of 2018.
In June 2019, Duterte ordered the transfer of domestic flights to Sangley Point after a thunderstorm delayed and redirected the domestic and international flights of thousands of passengers at Naia.
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