Cebu Pacific ‘Victims’ seek compensation; ‘Survivors’ want reform

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DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The passengers of the Cebu Pacific plane that missed the airport on landing in Davao City recently have grouped themselves into “The Victims,” who are pressing payment of millions of pesos in damages, and “The Survivors,” who would settle for the airline making policy changes and promising better treatment of its passengers.

The first group, led by one Andrew Bautista, said it has written Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei a letter demanding payment of at least P1 million in compensatory damages to each of its 37 members  for the emotional distress they suffered in the June 2 accident.

Cebu Pacific flight 5J971 from Manila, which had 165 passengers,  missed the runway in a rough landing under heavy rain at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport here on the evening of June 2, breaking its front landing gear and sending its nose ploughing into a soggy patch of grass. The passengers complained that the crew neglected to inform them what was happening, did not assist them at all and took a long while to get them off the disabled aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines subsequently ruled the accident as being due to pilot error and suspended the plane’s pilot and co-pilot.

“My clients gave them a month to reply to the demand otherwise, they will pursue their plan to sue the airline company for breach of contract of carriage of passengers,” “The Victims” lawyer, Robert de Leon, told reporters here.

But the second group, which calls itself  “The Survivors,” said what it wanted was simply for Cebu Pacific to change some of its policies and promise that passengers will be fully assisted at all times.

Prof. Jess Delgado of the Ateneo de Davao University, who heads the second group, said they were not asking for monetary compensation. An improvement in the way the airline handles passengers in times of crisis and emergencies would be more than enough, he said.

Whereas the plane’s passengers showed solid unity and hugged and assisted each other on the evening of June 2, the two group’s differing positions have pitted their leaders against each other.

Bautista has criticized Delgado for announcing “The Survivors” did not want money. He said this move undermined his group’s demand and made them appear “mukhang pera” or moneygrubbers.

“They should have not called for that press conference because it placed our group in bad light,” Bautista said.

He maintained that the P1-million demand for each passenger was “not enough for the emotional trauma because trauma is unquantifiable.”

“Kailangang pa bang mamatay para bayaran (Does one need to die to be compensated for)?” he asked.

Delgado maintained they never thought of demanding any amount in damages from Cebu Pacific as what they had been strongly demanding from the start was for the airline company to shape up and institute changes in its policies.