NGO banks on next administration to protect domestic aviation industry

The Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, a non-governmental organization fighting for fair skies, fair trade and good governance, has given up on the Arroyo administration to correct the unevenness of the RP-US Air Transport Agreement (ATA) as well as other air agreements.

"We are looking forward to the election of a new President like Raul Roco who will protect and advance the interest of the local aviation industry," SOS said.

The SOS, composed of over 1,500 companies in the travel and cargo industry, said it could not expect the Arroyo administration to correct the imbalance in the RP-US ATA considering its pro-US stance.

With regard to the other air agreements like those with South Korea and Singapore, SOS said Malacañang and other officials have already been influenced by lobbyists of these foreign airlines.

It identified one of these lobbyists as the Freedom to Fly Coalition (FFC), which has been unmasked during the Senate hearings on AGILE as being financed by foreign interests.

SOS said even before the RP-US ATA took effect last Oct. 1, administration officials like Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri had already showed their bias in favor of open skies and foreign airline and cargo companies.

It added that the administration has refused to do something about the uneven agreement with the US before its implementation last Oct. 1

"Since 2001, we have appealed to the Office of the President to negotiate for better terms as the implementation of open skies will spell disaster to our aviation industry. However, we were ignored by the President inspite of the support of media, Vice President Teofisto Guingona, the Department of Foreign Affairs, some senators and congressmen, and recently, even the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Civil Aeronautics Board," Robert Lim Joseph, SOS president said.

He added that despite the support from labor groups under the Fair Trade Alliance (FTA) headed by former Sen. Wigberto Tañada, "Malacañang snubbed us."

"We appeal for decency and upholding of our Constitution," Joseph said, adding "Our laws should protect the people. They should not be applied just to accommodate foreign interests but at the expense of our country. We are advocating for policies that will protect the country."

He said they expected to be redeemed after the election when decency and good governance will be restored in government.