Malacañang on Monday said it is monitoring the performance Civil
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director-general Alfonso
Cusi after it was revealed that his position was one of those that the
Palace wants to fill up this month. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing at the
Palace that Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose "Ping" de
Jesus told him the department was keeping a close watch on Cusi's
performance because the position is charged with improving the
Philippines' aviation safety ratings and the Category 2 given by US
Federal Aviation Authority lifted. A Category 2 listing means that a country has failed the aviation
safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization or
ICAO. The position of CAAP director general was among the 143 positions the
Office of the Executive Secretary listed under the request for an
exemption to the Sept. 25-Nov. 10 appointment ban in deference to the
Oct. 25 barangay elections. The Commission on Elections approved the request. A CAAP director-general is four-year, fixed-term position under
Republic Act 9497 or the law that created the CAAP. Former president
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Cusi to the post on March 8, two
days before the March 10 appointment ban ahead of the May 10
elections. "Al Cusi is an appointee with a fixed term. So, we don’t know yet what
actions will be taken. But according to Secretary Ping de Jesus, we
are monitoring his performance right now because he is the
officer-in-charge of getting us out of Category 2," said Lacierda. With Cusi's position among those exempted to the appointment ban,
Lacierda told reporters "as far as we know, yes," when asked whether
Cusi would likely stay as the CAAP director general. GMANews.TV asked Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. to
comment on the issue, but has not replied as of posting time. In February, then Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said that the 2008
downgrade from Category 1 to Category 2 was partly responsible for the
drop in North American tourists flying to the Philippines because PAL
could no longer expand its US and Canadian routes after it bought
Boeing-777 jets
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director-general Alfonso
Cusi after it was revealed that his position was one of those that the
Palace wants to fill up this month. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing at the
Palace that Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose "Ping" de
Jesus told him the department was keeping a close watch on Cusi's
performance because the position is charged with improving the
Philippines' aviation safety ratings and the Category 2 given by US
Federal Aviation Authority lifted. A Category 2 listing means that a country has failed the aviation
safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization or
ICAO. The position of CAAP director general was among the 143 positions the
Office of the Executive Secretary listed under the request for an
exemption to the Sept. 25-Nov. 10 appointment ban in deference to the
Oct. 25 barangay elections. The Commission on Elections approved the request. A CAAP director-general is four-year, fixed-term position under
Republic Act 9497 or the law that created the CAAP. Former president
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Cusi to the post on March 8, two
days before the March 10 appointment ban ahead of the May 10
elections. "Al Cusi is an appointee with a fixed term. So, we don’t know yet what
actions will be taken. But according to Secretary Ping de Jesus, we
are monitoring his performance right now because he is the
officer-in-charge of getting us out of Category 2," said Lacierda. With Cusi's position among those exempted to the appointment ban,
Lacierda told reporters "as far as we know, yes," when asked whether
Cusi would likely stay as the CAAP director general. GMANews.TV asked Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. to
comment on the issue, but has not replied as of posting time. In February, then Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said that the 2008
downgrade from Category 1 to Category 2 was partly responsible for the
drop in North American tourists flying to the Philippines because PAL
could no longer expand its US and Canadian routes after it bought
Boeing-777 jets
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