House bill seeks relief from airline ‘abuses’

Iloilo City — A militant lawmaker is seeking relief from the “shabby treatment” of airline companies of passengers stranded for hours in airports due to flight delays.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, who last month was stranded at the Iloilo airport for seven hours after a Cebu Pacific plane malfunctioned, wants Congress to investigate airlines for abuses and violations of the common carriers law.

In a privilege speech delivered on Feb. 1, Casiño asked the House committee on transportation to review conditions imposed by airlines during delays and cancellations of flights.

“Airlines impose very stiff penalties and passengers are not allowed to board the aircraft if we are late or cannot make our flight. On the other hand, when it is the airlines themselves that are unable to comply with their commitments, then they cite their provisions that they are not liable in any way for any loss or damage that their failure to operate results in,” Casiño said.

He cited his experience along with around 140 other passengers of a Cebu Pacific Flight from Iloilo to Manila on Jan. 22.

The plane, Cebu Pacific Flight-J458, was scheduled to leave at 5:45 p.m. but due to an unspecified engine malfunction, most of the passengers were only able to leave past 1 a.m. the next day. Several passengers left later in the morning.

Among the stranded passengers were tourists who attended the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo and officials of the Film Development Council of the Philippines who organized an international film festival in the city.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said the flight was delayed due to an “extended servicing of the aircraft.” It did not give details.

“(Cebu Pacific) provided passengers meals. They were also given the option to rebook their flights or to receive full refund. (The company) regrets the inconvenience this caused our guests. However, their safety will always remain (the company’s) primary concern,” according to the statement.

Casiño said, in an earlier interview, that the airline had first refused to send another plane for the passengers who were concerned of the condition of the plane that was repaired. The airline later sent another aircraft after most of the already irate passengers repeatedly refused to board the original plane.

In his Feb. 1 speech, Casiño noted that they had been delayed for around five hours and the passengers had refused to fly on the same plane.

Instead, the passengers were asking Cebu Pacific to send another plane or house them in a hotel until the airline could send another plane.

“We also refused the lame offer of a refund, the rebooking without guarantee of having a seat the next day or giving the money to a travel fund for the airline,” Casiño said in his speech.

The delays and the failure to promptly address problems in flights of airlines could also affect the country’s tourism industry, according to Casiño.

“We have a new tourism slogan: ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines.’ But with airlines like Cebu Pacific, with services such as this, how can we say that it is more fun in the Philippines?” he said. /INQUIRER