Reacting to reports that the recent hike in airport fees at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was a unilateral decision by the Department of Transportation (DoTr), transportation secretary Jaime Bautista clarified that the increase had been discussed during several Cabinet meetings and was in fact supported by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Romualdez Marcos Jr.

In a statement, Bautista tagged the allegation that the DoTr approved the new rates without approval from the Cabinet is a ‘false statement’.”

“Sinasabi doon na we approved the rates without approval from Cabinet. It passed through the Cabinet meetings. We had many Cabinet meetings to discuss this,” he reiterated.

In spite of this, the DoTr chief enthused that they have no plans to sue the individual who published the false report, although he slammed the said report by business news website Bilyonaryo as “malicious and unfounded.”

The news website alleged that Bautista and his undersecretary for aviation and airports Bobby Lim are facing heightened scrutiny over airport fee hikes without a green light from the Cabinet.

This came in the wake of an announcement from the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC) that higher airport terminal fees will take effect beginning September next year from a domestic terminal fee of ₱200 to ₱550 while international passengers will have to pay ₱950 from ₱550.

Meanwhile, regarding the implementation of higher parking rates at the NAIA which started just this Tuesday, October 1, and earned jeers from several transport groups, the NNIC, which recently took over the operations of the NAIA, defended the new rates, saying they were needed to reduce congestion and optimize the airport’s car park operations.

It also clarified that the adjustments, the first in more than a decade, were issued by the Manila International Airport Administration (MIAA) before the airport’s management was handed over to the consortium.

The consortium led by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) also said the previous rates “unintentionally encouraged misuse of the airport’s limited parking spaces.”

“Many individuals, including those from nearby establishments and with no airport-related business, were taking advantage of the low rates for overnight or long-term parking. This created a parking shortage for actual passengers, adding to congestion and frustration,” it pointed out.

The higher rates are expected to discourage non-travelers from using the airport parking space meant for passengers, it further stated.