Lawmakers want speedy resolution to NAIA-3 contract dispute

San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito, a member of the House transportation and communications committee on Tuesday urged government to pursue a swift resolution of the legal dispute hounding the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) to attract investors for its public-private partnership (PPP) initiative. The committee is conducting a hearing based on a resolution filed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urging President Benigno Aquino III to look into the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement and putting an end to an expensive and long-drawn litigation. The resolution also urged government to pay the builders just compensation. Calling the NAIA-3 dispute "a blackeye" on the administration’s efforts to lure foreign investors, Ejercito cited the need for government to come to terms with the legal problems confronting NAIA 3. The controversy surrounding the project have given potential investors something to think about, according to the lawmaker, referring to the involvement of Germany’s Fraport AG, a principal investor in the Philippine International Airport Terminal Co. Inc. (Piatco) which built the world-class facility. “Until we come into a settlement with Piatco and its foreign counterpart, Fraport AG, investors from the European Union, particularly Germany, will refrain from investing in the country," Ejercito told the House panel headed by Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado. He warned that failure to resolve the NAIA 3 dispute would be a major blow to the PPP initiative, a key program being of the Aquino administration to boost the economy and generate jobs. — VS, GMA News