Solon wants CAB, airline companies to explain ‘dismal services, exorbitant rates’

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The scrapping of fuel charges in airline fees is well and good, but airline companies and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) still have a lot to answer for with regard to exorbitant air fares, “overbooking,” and the disregard of passenger rights, a party-list lawmaker said Saturday.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said he welcomed CAB’s announcement of the reduced fuel charges but added that the agency and the airlines still need to answer many questions at a congressional hearing this month, which will inquire into the “dismal service of airline companies and CAB’s failure to protect the public from exorbitant rates.”

Last month, Colmenares assailed airline companies and CAB in a privilege speech at the House of Representatives and filed House Resolution 1780 to investigate the December 25-26 fiasco involving Cebu Pacific, which resulted in massive delays and flight cancellations.

“Fuel prices have fallen by more than 40 percent since June of 2014 and is in fact priced less than $50 per barrel now but there has been no corresponding decrease in air fares until the public raised this issue to CAB’s attention,” he said in a statement.

“Airline companies always used rising fuel cost as reason for high fuel surcharges but since oil prices plummeted they have not decreased their airfares. Worse, airline services have remained dismal” said the deputy minority leader.

He cited many cases of passenger rights being violated as a result of “overbooking, cancellation of flights, delays, and the refusal to compensate affected passengers.”

“These are just some of the violations of passengers’ rights committed by airline companies such as Cebu Pacific. Worse, the CAB which is supposed to regulate the airline industry has practically allowed these companies to get away with it for a long time,” the lawmaker said.

“While it is correct to take out fuel surcharges in airfares, CAB must still answer for its inaction for a long period of time. It cannot act as regulator only if the public exposes anomalies in the airline industry, and it must be held to account for the hundreds of millions of pesos lost by the passengers as a result of high fuel surcharges despite plummeting oil prices,” he added.

“The government issued Joint Administrative Order to protect airline passengers’ rights remained toothless and ineffective.  I am glad [transportation committee chair and Catanduanes] Representative Cesar Sarmiento has agreed to hear my privilege speech and Resolution on Jan. 20, so we can hale these airlines, the CAB and DOTC to the congressional hearing,” he said.

“We ask the public to attend the public hearing and voice their complaints to the officials concerned. It’s about time we get to the bottom of the issue otherwise this will continue to recur every year to the loss and injury of the public,” he said.

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