Dong's vision for Clark

By Jun A. Malig - SunStar
Cognition

PAMPANGA third district Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., who is being groomed by his allies in the House of Representatives to become deputy chairman of the House committee on public works and highways and member of the Special House Committee on Bases Conversion, wants Clark Field to be managed by an authority headed by a chairman/administrator with a fixed term of six years.

He believes that a new charter for Clark in the form of a legislative enactment is necessary to make this possible.

Republic Act 7227 or the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 did not specifically create Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). The law only authorized the President to create the economic zone and establish its governing body through an executive proclamation.

Only the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority were particularly created by RA 7227. The law also states that the SBMA chairman and members of the Board "shall be appointed by the President to serve for a term of six years, unless sooner removed for cause" -- except for the representatives of the local government units who have a term of only three years.

In the first quarter of this year, the Senate and the House passed RA 9400, which officially became a law last March 20. It amended certain provisions of RA 7227, including the transformation of CSEZ's 4,400-hectare main zone -- excluding the 22-hectare SM City Clark and Bayanihan Park areas -- into Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ).

But RA 9400 still neither specifically establishes a governing body for the Clark nor sets a fixed term for its officials. It merely reiterates RA 7227's provision that "the governing body of the Clark Special Economic Zone shall likewise be established by executive proclamation with such powers and functions exercised by the Export Processing Zone Authority pursuant to Presidential Decree 66."

Cong. Dong envisions a CFZ or a CSEZ being managed by a body similar to the SBMA whose chairman/administrator and board of directors have fixed terms of office. This would eliminate "power-plays" in Clark and allow its manager to have more time and convenience to focus his efforts on corporate matters, instead of being bothered by political or ill-motivated pressures and power-players who continually lobby for his replacement.

A law that would amend both RA 7227 and RA 9400 is needed to ensure an authentic politics-free and business-friendly atmosphere in managing Clark. The new legislative enactment would become Clark's charter. Power-players, who are mostly influential individuals in the local political arena, would somehow be tamed from exerting their "muscles" in Clark's affairs.

I'm sure that there are other legislators in the House of the Representatives and Senate who would gladly support Cong Dong's vision for Clark. I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, the foreign and local investors within and outside the freeport and economic zone would welcome such an initiative.

But in converting Clark Development Corp. from a state-owned corporation into a statute-created authority, caution must be observed by the appointing authority in the selection of its chairman/administrator and members of the board. I mentioned this because several sources in the political and business circles have informed me that a traditional Pampanga politician had been soliciting support from other politicians in the province and the rest of Central Luzon to request Malacañang to appoint one of his protégés as CDC president "in case of vacancy" in the position.

Well, we live in a (somewhat) free society and anybody can solicit the support of other people for selfless or even selfish objectives. Anybody may also nominate anybody for the CDC presidency, especially with the current spineless charter of the state-owned corporation. However, given its tasks and mandates, the CDC leadership should not be given to mere protégés of politicians. It should not be handed to a lightweight or a featherweight, as the position requires heavyweight figures like Ret. Gen. Romeo David, Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, and business leader Liberato Laus who have proven that they can dare swim against strong political currents.

A heavyweight figure, like the ones appointed in the SBMA since 1992 who had direct and strong ties with their appointing authorities, would not just make Clark an excellent investment and employment haven. It would also ensure that the Clark chief is truly the one calling the shots in his turf and not the politicos or power-players hiding behind his back.