A COALITION of citizens, taxpayers, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) organizations, and Manila airport staff asked the Philippine Supreme Court to void the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) deal with San Miguel Corp.’s New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), alleging it grants unconstitutional authority to impose airport fees.
In a petition filed on Tuesday, the groups challenged the Manila International Airport Authority’s (MIAA) Revised Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 2024, and the March 2024 concession agreement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upgrade.
They claimed the measures were approved without mandatory public consultations and in violation of laws requiring government-led rate setting.
The plaintiffs are seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the implementation of the administrative order and the PPP agreement.
Former lawmaker Jose Christopher “Kit” Y. Belmonte said in a separate statement that the move was done without genuine public consultation.
“Not one OFW, not one airport worker, not one ordinary passenger was meaningfully heard before these rate increases were approved,” Mr. Belmonte added. “It’s not just bad policy — it’s a violation of the law and the Constitution.”
NNIC and San Miguel Corp. did not immediately respond to separate Viber chats seeking comment. While MIAA General Manager Eric Jose C. Ines declined to comment.
The petition said that the order bypassed hearings required under Batas Pambansa Blg. 325 and the Administrative Code of 1987.
It also questioned provisions allowing the San Miguel-led concessionaire to levy “non-regulated fees” without clear standards and to claim subsidies under a “deficit payment” clause if rate increases are denied.
The groups warned that higher passenger service and parking charges could raise travel costs for millions, especially OFWs and airport employees.
“These hikes will come straight out of the pockets of our OFWs, travelers, and even the very workers who keep NAIA running,” Mr. Belmonte said. “And they are not tied to any guaranteed improvement in service. This is privatization without accountability.”
The petition also flagged potential competition concerns, saying San Miguel’s control over both NAIA and the future Bulacan Airport could stifle market rivalry.
San Miguel, one of the Philippines’ largest conglomerates, won the P170.6-billion NAIA rehabilitation contract in 2024, pledging to modernize the country’s main gateway over a 15-year concession period. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana