Cebu Pacific apology not enough, says lawmaker

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu Pacific’s apology for one of its plane’s runway mishap at the Davao International Airport was not enough and was even called unsatisfactory by a lawmaker.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said it was “not enough” that the budget airline apologized after flight 5J-971 skidded off the airport’s runway Sunday night.

He urged the management of Cebu Pacific to allow authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the runway accident.

“They should be open to a complete investigation of the incident as well as a full review of their policies,” said Colmenares.

“Cebu-Pacific should also shoulder all the expenses and damages incurred not just of their passengers but those of other airlines as well who were stranded,” the lawmaker added.

But Colmenares sought an investigation not only for Sunday’s airport mishap but also for a plane’s overshooting of the runway in Palawan and the “near collision” of Cebu Pacific and Zest Air aircraft.

“It must also be noted that other than the 2011 overshooting of runway in Palawan, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also reported a near collision in 2012 involving Cebu-Pacific and Zest Air,” said the legislator.

“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) should also publish the report not just of the Davao incident but also of these two other incidents so that the public is made aware of the cause of these mishaps and the sanctions imposed,” he said.