BY JP LOPEZ
SEN. Mar Roxas yesterday filed a resolution seeking an inquiry
on the findings of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
advisory downgrading the ratings of the Philippine aviation
industry.
Roxas said an inquiry is needed to enable the
public to know "who dropped the ball" on such a critical matter
as airport and aviation safety.
He said the local airline industry expects a
direct hit from the downgrading of the country by the FAA to
Category 2, followed by a United States advisory to its citizens
to shun Philippine carriers until the country meets
international aviation safety standards.
The country’s flag carrier Philippine
Airlines Inc. (PAL) said restrictions imposed under the Category
2 rating will affect most directly the tourism sector.
The US FAA downgraded the Philippines’
aviation safety category due to findings that the Air
Transportation Office was "not being in compliance" with
International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards.
Sen. Joker Arroyo said civil aviation
authorities were aware of the impending downgrade and yet did
not do anything to address FAA’s concerns.
"Why did the Executive not inform Congress of
the need for remedial legislation? For one thing, during the
current budget hearings, none of the government agencies
involved in aviation asked for additional budget that they
needed to meet FAA’s warnings. There was complete silence on the
safety issues. Congress passed the budget they asked for,"
Arroyo said.
He added the creation of the CAA was touted
during the hearings as what FAA asked for to forestall the
downgrade.
"Or was it just a ruse so that another public
corporation can be created that will collect its own revenues
and spend it as it sees fit, without the need to remit its
income to the National Treasury?" he asked.
Roxas said airport safety "is of critical
importance to our country’s bid to attract more tourists and
foreign investors as well as provide better services to Filipino
travelers including millions of overseas Filipinos."
"It is not enough to just be compliant or up
to minimum standards. As a result of globalization, we have to
be on a par with the world’s best," he said.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the
downgrading has "no immediate impact" on the country, except
perhaps the expansion bids of airline companies, primarily
Philippine Airlines.
Rep. Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City), House
transportation committee chairman and who was a member of the
Philippine panel which negotiated with US FAA officials last
December, said the FAA is only waiting for the enactment of the
law creating the Civil Aviation Authority, which he said he
expects to be signed next month.
He said the proposed law would strengthen
flying schools, upgrade the equipment and facilities of the
Philippines’ 85 airports, hire new employees and prevent the
exodus of personnel enticed to work abroad due to higher
salaries.
He said the downgrade would not affect
passengers going to the US because "it’s not the carriers or the
aircraft, but the system."
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza has
ordered an audit of air safety regulations in the country’s
airports following the downgrade.
Shares in PAL Holdings Inc. fell after PAL
announced that its expansion plans in the US will be jeopardized
by the downgrade. PAL Holdings owns 84.7 percent of PAL.
The downgrade prohibited PAL from increasing its flights to
the US from 33 a week. PAL has also expressed concern about the
effect of the penalty on cargo traffic between the US and the
Philippines and its plans to start services to San Diego,
Chicago, New York and Saipan. – With Regina Bengco
