MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez threatened on Thursday to cancel the franchise of an airline company if it would not transfer its domestic operations from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to its Terminal 2.

Alvarez said that he gave the airline firm Cebu Pacific 45 days to transfer its domestic operations to NAIA Terminal 2, which the company said was inadequate to handle its number of flights.

The speaker said that Cebu Pacific tried to ask for a year to transition because it had already sold tickets for flights for the next 12 months. However, Alvarez rejected this and told the airline that it was their problem.

“If they will not transfer in 45 days, we will consider canceling their franchise,” the speaker said in a radio interview. 

The speaker said that Terminal 3 was designed to be used for international flights and claimed that he was told by the management of the Manila International Airport Authority that Cebu Pacific had been resisting its efforts to rationalize the airlines’ use of and improve the services in the terminals.

“It’s only in the Philippines where terminals made and designed for international (operations) are used for both domestic and international (flights). This should not happen because the designs of domestic and internal terminals are different,” he said. 

Alvarez said that Cebu Pacific should maintain operations that Terminal 2 could handle and just use Clark International Airport for its excess flights.

He said that Cebu Pacific should not make the public endure bad service by putting its domestic operations in one terminal.

The speaker said that airline companies should always ensure the comfort, safety and convenience of their passengers and claimed that these were not being delivered.

He also scored Cebu Pacific for not using airport tubes for its embarking and disembarking passengers. He noted that under the current arrangement its passengers would be exposed to the elements especially during bad weather as they would be required to use stairs in going to their planes.

He also accused Cebu Pacific of not using terminal fees paid by customers to ensure their convenience.

“They are so proud to publish in all newspapers, paid ads, saying at the end of the year this is our profits, billions of pesos. I told them that they are shameless, son of a b****, you are inconveniencing the public. You don’t care about them,” Alvarez said in a mix of Filipino and English.

He also called on the management of Cebu Pacific to also meet their responsibilities to their passengers and not just to their shareholders.

“Fix the management of your company, so you will not just be concerned about your profits at the end of the year. We also have what we call social responsibilities,” he said.