Outgoing CPA exec: Change in chief won’t affect P9B project

The Cebu International Port will be among the facilities under the new CPA chief’s jurisdiction. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Despite the recent change in management at the Cebu Port Authority (CPA), Retired Vice Admiral Edmund Tan said he was confident that the proposed international port project in northern Cebu would still push through.

Tan stepped down from his post as vice chairman of the CPA Board and general manager earlier this week to give way to the new CPA chief, Angelo Verdan, whom he said he believes will make the right decisions.

“Without any political intervention from higher-ups, the project will push through under the supervision of the new general manager while the board will monitor it,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

Int’l port project

Tan was referring to the CPA’s P9.13-billion proposed international port project in Consolacion town, which was approved last month by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board, where President Rodrigo Duterte is the chairman.

Tan had been staunchly opposing the P16-billion port project proposed by Mega Harbour Port and Development, Inc., which the proponent intended to build on the same site that the CPA identified for its own.

Edmund Tan

In several interviews, the former official asserted that under Republic Act No. 7621 or the CPA Charter no private person or entity or local government unit could construct a port or pier without a permit from the authority.

It also states that only the CPA can manage, operate, maintain and develop ports and port facilities in the whole Cebu province.

While the CPA’s proposed project already received the go signal from President Duterte, Tan claimed that there are still people “with vested interests” clamoring that they do the project instead.

“I just hope (Verdan) will not succumb to any pressure coming from them,” Tan said, but he did not elaborate on this.

Former CPA chief

Verdan served as CPA general manager from 2006 to 2010 during the term of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. After his stint at the CPA, he was appointed as administrator of the regional Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) of the Philippines.

Before that, he was also general manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport from 2002 to 2004.

Asked whether his replacement had something to do with his stand on the private undertaking, Tan said he would rather not speculate.

“I will no longer complain. I thanked the president for giving me the short time to serve under his administration,” he said.

Tan was an appointee of then President Benigno Aquino III and served from 2013 to December 2016.

He said that he would meet with Verdan on Monday afternoon for the formal turnover of duties and to ensure that there would be a smooth transition of administrations.

The CPA under Tan’s management also undertook improvements in passenger terminals under his watch and increased the authority’s income from P850 million in 2013 to P1.7 billion at present.

Reason for change

Angelo Verdan (top) will formally take over as general manager of the Cebu Port Authority on Monday. (TWITTER)

Lawyer Yusop Uckung, CPA legal department manager, said that they received a memo from Verdan on Dec. 1 stating that he has been appointed as a commissioner by President Duterte and was going to replace Tan.

The CPA Board received the appointment on Nov. 29.

Sought for comment on the reason behind the replacement of Tan, Uckung said this might have something to do with the President’s earlier pronouncement for appointees of past administrations to step down.

Uckung said that under the CPA charter, the general manager is elected by and among the commissioners.

However, he said, the Department of Transportation can designate a commissioner as general manager.

On the issue of the proposed port project in Consolacion town, Uckung said he doesn’t want to preempt the actions of the new general manager and his new board.

“They will have to review the projects, and they will decide which priority projects to pursue,” he explained.