Stranded PAL passengers vent anger on management

Thousands of passengers were stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City after Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees staged a walkout early Tuesday. PHOTO BY RODEL ROTONI

Passengers stranded by the work stoppage staged by the ground crew of Philippine Airlines vented their anger on the airline’s management which they said had no contingency plan.

“We do not know what is going on. Nobody is talking to us. The PAL management should have a crisis management team explaining to us what is happening,” said Sarah Lee, who came to Terminal 2 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:20 a.m. She was still waiting for her baggage at 5 p.m.

Lee was among the 14,000 passengers booked on 102 international and domestic flights that were canceled Tuesday.

She said passengers were given food stubs worth P300 but she said a PAL employee who handed out the stubs quickly disappeared.

Baby Barrameda, another passenger bound for Legazpi City, said she lost a business deal valued at P200,000 because she failed to attend a meeting.

“I could ride a bus going to Legazpi and maybe make it to my meeting, but all the documents were in my baggage. I am willing to get it myself, if allowed,” Barrameda said almost in tears, while talking to a security guard of the airport.

Operations at the international departure check-in counter resumed at around 6 p.m. after almost a day of disruption.

The National Capital Region Police Office, airport police and the airline’s private security personnel bodily brought out 40 members of the PAL Employees’ Association (Palea) to give way to new hires of the airline.

Palea accused policemen of harassment and female union members complained of manhandling.