Cebuanos’ voice unlikely to be heard, says legislator

It is now unlikely that Cebuanos will be consulted on whether they favor the House bill seeking to rename Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Lapu-Lapu Cebu International Airport.

Rep. Peter Calderon (Cebu, seventh district) theorized that because the bill was already approved by the House Committee on Transportation, it will go directly to the plenary without a public hearing.

Rep. Raul V. Del Mar (Cebu City, north) said they will have to ask the House Transportation Committee if there will be a public hearing before it starts to sponsor the bill renaming Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Lapu-Lapu Cebu International Airport in plenary session.

For his part, Calderon, who is not a member of the committee, said he doesn’t believe there is a public hearing on the matter.

Del Mar clarified that they filed the bill to rename the Mac- tan-Cebu International Airport to Lapu-Lapu Cebu International Airport in objection to the move of the National Historical Commission to rename it to Lapu-Lapu International Airport deleting the word “Cebu.”

“We really don’t want any renaming at all and maintain its present name of Mactan-Cebu International Airport. However, if there will be any renaming at all, we prefer it to be Lapu-Lapu Cebu International Airport instead of their proposal of LapuLapu International Airport.

On the other hand, Presidential Adviser on Legislative Maters Adelino Sitoy said he will talk with House Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya to air his views on the matter before it will be forwarded to the plenary.

If the plenary will still approve it, he will request the Senate to junk it.

If the Senate will sustain it, he will convince President Rodrigo Duterte to veto it.

He urged congressmen not to shut them out, saying they are part of Mactan Island.

Sitoy, a former mayor of Cordova, which is part of Mactan Island, is a presidential adviser for legislative matters and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office head.

Sitoy said it is not appropriate to rename Mactan-Cebu International Airport to LapuLapu-Cebu International Airport because it will relegate Cordova to the sidelines.

“Why take Cordova out of airport recognition when in fact airplanes coming in and out are passing the town? Cordova is even prohibited to construct high-rise buildings,” Sitoy said.

Recently, the House Committee on Transportation passed the bill changing the airport’s name even without conducting a public hearing in Cebu to determine if the people are in favor of or against it. /