Groups urge SC to void NAIA PPP

Civil society groups composed of taxpayers, OFW groups, MIAA workers, and NAIA workers filed a case Tuesday, 12 August 2025, before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Revised Administrative Order (AO) No. 1, Series of 2024, and the 18 March 2024 NAIA Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Concession Agreement with San Miguel Corporation’s New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

The petitioners accused government agencies of bypassing public participation and disregarding due process in approving sweeping airport fee hikes.

“This 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,” lawyer Atty. Kit Belmonte said. “It’s not just bad policy — it’s a violation of the law and the Constitution.”

The petition alleges that AO No. 1 was issued without the public hearings required under BP Blg. 325 and the Administrative Code of 1987, and that MIAA, which spearheaded the rate-setting, does not have the legal authority to do so.

It further challenges the “unconstitutional delegation” of power to NNIC, allowing it to impose “non-regulated fees” without government oversight or clear standards, and to claim government subsidies under a “Deficit Payment Clause” if its proposed rate hikes are rejected.

Belmonte warned that the new charges, from parking fees to Passenger Service Charges, will significantly increase 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,” Belmonte said. “And they are not tied to any guaranteed improvement in service. This is privatization without accountability.”

They also flagged competition concerns, noting that NNIC’s control over both NAIA and Bulacan Airport consolidates too much power in one private consortium, potentially stifling competition and weakening public accountability.

The high bench was asked to issue a Temporary Restraining Order to halt AO No. 1 and the PPP deal, nullify both measures, and prohibit any further enforcement.

“This petition is not against upgrading NAIA,” Belmonte emphasized. “We want progress, but it must be done lawfully, transparently, and with the people’s voice at the center of the process.”