Duterte guidance sought in airport deal with US-banned Chinese firm

MANILA (UPDATE) - The Cavite provincial government said Friday it would seek President Rodrigo Duterte's guidance on whether or not to go ahead with building an airport with the help of a Chinese firm recently blacklisted by the United States over its alleged role in building artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. 

The China Communications Construction Co (CCC) was among 24 companies that the US Commerce Department banned this week from purchasing US products, according to a report by The New York Times. 

• US blacklists Chinese companies, individuals for South China Sea work

A joint venture between the Chinese state-owned firm and Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. for the construction of the Sangley Point International Airport is “about to be completed,” said Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla. 

“Their boards have to approve it, and it should be done maybe in a month," he told ANC. 

"It’s a national security issue. If the President says, if the Department of National Defense says that it’s a security risk to enter an agreement with them then we will cease. We will terminate the agreements immediately," he added. 

The national government should "chime in on it and have their own risk assessment of what’s going on," said the governor. 

"I will leave it up to the Department of National Defense, I will leave it up to the Office of the President to guide us in how we should pursue this," he added. 

Duterte's main consideration is the welfare of the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program, Malacañang said Friday as it noted that the Philippines considers bot the US and China as "special friends."

"We hope that both partners of the Philippines will be able to draw an understanding and resolve any and all issues between them amicably and peacefully," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

"This outcome will help further enhance greater stability and security in the region," he added.