The US Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) has just diminished the Philippines’ aviation safety oversight operations from Category 1 to Category 2.

Incidentally, Hawaiian Airlines of the USA has, for a while now, been wanting to be allowed into the Philippines. Hawaii Airlines is anxious for a slice of the already tremendous commercial advantage of American airlines over their Philippine counterparts.

Is the matter of the downgrading of the Philippine aviation industry, and the matter of the April launching of Hawaiian Airlines in the Philippines, mutually exclusive?

Or is this all part and results of the lopsided "Open Skies" agreement allowed, nay, instigated by Filipinos who benefit from such consequences? Absolutely nothing negative can happen to the Philippines without the consent of some Filipinos in a position to consent.

The consequence of being downgraded to Category 2: (a) the operating specification of Philippine carriers flying the USA would be frozen; (b) Philippine flights to the US would be subjected to excessive US FAA surveillance while in the US; (c) No aircraft substitution on US flights nor increase in frequencies to meet demand.

It is evident that the US FAA acts as prosecutor, judge, and executioner of Philippine aviation policy, simply by wielding the Big Stick of Category 2, in order to secure undue advantages for US carriers.

Senator Mar 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. The Air Transportation Office, ATO, should reveal what it has done since receiving the FAA advisory to improve the quality of airports nationwide.

(Translated) "What are the regulations, what have they done to comply? Were these scrutinized to decide what needs improved through legislation? Where a budget increase is needed, what administrative action is required?"

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye announced that Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza was assigned by President Arroyo to comply with the requirements of FAA and Civil Aviation Organization to regain Category 1, adding that "the issues involved here are merely technicalities and documentation and do not concern issues on safety."

Roxas filed Senate Resolution No. 271 which seeks an inquiry on the findings of the US FAA advisory, "in order to ensure that corrective measures are put in place to improve the state of our national and domestic airports."

"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.

"We will look at whether our ATO and other agencies are receiving enough funding to comply with FAA standards, and if this can be boosted to help them upgrade and improve on Philippine aviation.

"Other than the dismissal of the ATO head, Danilo Dimagiba, he must tell us what went wrong, what he did, and what he could not do, and how decisions were made or indefinitely postponed. His dismissal from service should have been a result of a clear and transparent post-mortem process that would result in lessons learned and a time-bound roadmap to obtain an FAA upgrade.

"Government needs to exercise enormous political will to resolve this problem. The repercussions are too great, and the damage to the country’s image is very serious."

The government had pushed for the immediate passage of a bill to create a stronger agency to be called the Civil Aviation Authority, as if it was a "magic pill" against the threat of a downgrade by the FAA. Still, despite the bill passing on 3rd reading in both Houses before Congress went on a holiday recess, the downgrade was still levied.