Open skies lobby group has penetrated CAB, Senate committee told

An aviation industry organization said that the lobby group Freedom to Fly Coalition (FFC), which is being financed by foreign funds, has penetrated the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and could have influenced the country’s aviation policies.

In his testimony before the Senate committees on public services and foreign relations, Robert Lim Joseph, Save Our Skies (SOS) Movement president, said the FFC, which has been pushing for open skies, was able to have its nominee appointed to the CAB board.

Joseph’s disclosure jibed with the earlier statement of Sen. Joker Arroyo, chairman of the Senate public services committee, that the USAID-funded AGILE’s (Accelerating Growth, Investment and Liberalization with Equity’s) influence extended to such policy-making bodies as the CAB. The FFC is reportedly among the local lobby groups being financed by the US-based Development Alternatives, Inc.-AGILE.

Joseph identified the FFC member in the CAB board as Alberto Lim, whose appointment to the body was reportedly pushed by former acting Tourism Secretary Narzalina Lim, a member of Malacañang’s search committee.

Lim is an incorporator and one of the founders of the FFC.

The FFC and other US-funded lobby groups like the Policy Research Information Strategy and Media Services, Inc. (PRISM) are now the subject of investigation by the Senate for pushing for foreign interests in aviation and other industries, to the detriment of local businesses.

"Saan ka nakakita na isang miyembro ng lobby group ang nasa gobyerno (Where can you see a member of a lobby group also connected with government.) and he is there to promote foreign interests," Joseph said, referring to Lim.

The FFC has been accused by aviation groups of promoting and pushing for open skies with the US despite concerns that the proposal would hurt the economic viability of Philippine carriers.

Lately, the group has been advocating for the resumption of air talks between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite excess air seats on the route.

Besides the CAB, the FFC reportedly has influenced such agencies of government as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the academe and business groups like the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Published documents showed that the FFC is among the Filipino lobby groups being funded by AGILE to promote the policies of the US government in the country.

The same documents revealed that FFC’s activities and lobby efforts are, in turn, being promoted in media by PRISM, a Makati-based public relations firm.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records identified FFC’s incorporators as Narzalina Lim, Mila A. Abad, Victor Limlingan, Ma. Cherrylyn Rodolfo and Jose Claro Tesoro.