THE tense encounter between two Chinese tourists and Eldon Cruz on board a Manila-Cebu flight placed the Department of Tourism (DOT) and other government officials on the spot.
The Beijing visitors are part of 12-member group of online travel writers invited by the DOT to promote Cebu City as a tourist destination.
DOT representatives led by Regional Director Rowena Montecillo was at the airport throughout the day accompanying the group, who were held for questioning by airport security.
The consul of the People’s Republic of China was also there. He declined to give a comment.
A Cebu provincial official was heard phoning the airport to intervene.
Montecillo told Cebu Daily News the encounter on board the plane with Eldon Cruz, husband of President Aquino’s eldest sister Maria Elena “Ballsy”, was “very unfortunate” for both parties but added that both separated peacefully.
“The decision to let the two (Chinese visitors) involved to go back to Manila came from our Manila office. They are being met by DOT officials and officials from the Embassy of China who will do their separate investigation on the matter,” Montecillo said.
No charges were filed.
Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane and an assistant went to the airport, anticipating an inquest proceeding but ended up with none.
“We could not hold them (longer) because no complaint has been filed so far,” said Senior Supt. Arturo Evangelista, deputy director for adminitration of the Police Center for Aviation Security.
The two Chinese visitors were escorted back to Manila on a Cebu Pacific flight for turnover to the Bureau of Immigration.
“We call this an administrative turnover, which happens in the abence of a criminal complaint filed,” said Evangelista.
“Although no complainant has manifested interest in pursuing charges as of now, that doesn’t mean no one will file charges against them.”
The rest of the ten Beijing on-line travel journalists decided to continue with their tour of Cebu City till Monday.
Montecillo said the trip was an all-expense-paid familiarization tour in the country sponsored by DOT to promote Philippine destinationss in China.
“The two went back to Manila on board Cebu Pacific flight 5J570 while the remaining ten decided to stay and continue their tour,” she said.
“We are having them escorted here in their tours to secure them. Their itineraries are mostly just in the city destinations and they leave Cebu on Monday,” she said.
Cebu Pacific management issued a brief, neutral statement with few details.
“The matter involving two passengers on board flight 5J563 from Manila to Cebu is now being addressed by the concerned parties. CEBU will cooperate with the authorities as necessary, said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing, in a text message.
Asked if the airline would file charges against the Chinese passengers, she said Cebu Pacific “cannot give further details other than what’s in the statement.”
CALM
Despite the confrontation on board the plane, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz and her husband went ahead with their itinerary in Cebu City.
They attended the wedding of Johann Young and Melissa Ann Lim at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and the noon reception before catching a 3 p.m. flight back to Manila.
The couple apparently didn’t mention the incident to their hosts, not wishing to make a fuss about it.
Cebu City Councilor Margott Osmena, who was a godmother at the wedding, said she was shocked to learn about the plane incident later when a third-party texted here.
She said Ballsy looked “calm” during the ceremony and reception, giving no inkling about the near-fistfight on board the plane between her husband and the Chinese passengers.
Young is the owner of cable television channel, RCTV and The Academy for International Culinary Arts (AICA) in Mabolo, Cebu City.
Margott who was with her husband, Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña, said like Ballsy, they were invited by the groom’s parents, John and Elena Young, who are close friends.
“Somebody texted me…I did not know. In fact, she (Ballsy) came here, she was very calm,” Margot said at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) where the wedding reception was held.
Wedding guests included Douglas Luym and other prominent businessmen.