Media personality Jay Sonza posted a misleading claim on Facebook saying the Sangley Airport in Cavite will be operational by Oct. 29.
In his Oct. 24 post, Sonza said:
Duterte gave the order June 10. Sangley Airport operational by October 29. completed in just 4 months. Your government works.
Only an operational dry run was conducted on Oct. 29, contrary to Sonza's claim.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in an interview Oct. 29 the airport should be fully operational after its one-week dry run. Tugade said:
I will finish the deadline in seven days, the dry run in seven days. After seven days, it must be operational as an ideal operating entity.
In the dry run, the airport welcomed its first cargo flight—an ATR 72-500 cargo freighter from Cebu Pacific operated by CebGo Inc.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the start of operations at Sangley Airport by November, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in early June:
If I’m not mistaken, he (President Duterte) was referring to that (operations at Sangley Airport) in December. Parang ang gusto ng Presidente, Hindi, masyadong matagal...December, November na lang (The president Duterte finds December too long, so he wants it to operational by November).
The DOTr said Oct. 24 the Sangley Airport is 95 percent complete.
Sonza’s post garnered 3,200 reactions and 1000 shares as of writing. His page has 14 million followers. (MC, JGL, HP)
References
Department of Transportation - Philippines. (n.d.). Timeline [Facebook page]. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/DOTrPH/
INQUIRER.net. (2019, Oct. 29). Sangley airport to be operational in 7 days - Tugade [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMzPcBcZeos
INQUIRER.net. (2019, Jun. 11). Duterte wants Sangley Airport operational by November [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1j_KThfzWw