Gov’t agencies want local airlines in air negotiating panel

Is the Arroyo government against local aviation interests and would want to see the local airlines put out of competition by foreign carriers?

This was the question raised by aviation stakeholders after learning that Malacañang has refused to act on the strong recommendations of various government agencies that local airlines be made again a member of the Philippine panel that negotiates with foreign airlines for air rights.

During the recent Senate hearing on the budget of the Civil Aeronautics Board, CAB Executive Director Tomas Manalac told the senators they have recommended that the Philippine panel include representatives from local airlines during negotiations.

Local airline representatives were excluded from the panel following the issuance of Executive Order 32 by President Arroyo on Aug. 22, 2001, which changed the composition of the negotiating body.

"We do not actually agree to the exclusion of the airlines from the panel. In fact, we have written the President (Arroyo) to recommend that the panel include officials from airlines run and owned by Filipinos," Manalac said.

He stressed that being principal stakeholders in the aviation industry, the airlines should have a say in the air talks.

"The airlines are also the instruments of national policy. They are the ones that will be implementing the air agreements. We strongly support moves that they be given seats anew in the negotiating panel," Manalac added.

Sen. Tito Sotto, a member of the Senate finance subcommittee looking into the budget of the CAB, said even the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Tourism (DOT) have recommended the reinstatement of Philippine carriers into the air negotiating panel.

Robert Lim Joseph, president of the Save Our Skies (SOS) movement, expressed disbelief over the obstinacy of Malacañang despite the strong recommendation of these agencies.

"This only confirmed our suspicion that Malacanang is favoring foreign airlines over our local carriers," said Joseph, whose group is at the forefront of efforts to promote fair skies and good governance.

Under EO 32, the Philippine panel is chaired by the DOTC chief with a DFA representative as vice chairman and the DOT, CAB, Department of Trade and Industry and a presidential appointee as members.

Sotto said because of the non-involvement of local airlines in previous talks, the government was able to enter into air agreements with Singapore and South Korea in 2001 that were disadvantageous to Philippine carriers.

"The agreement with Singapore was attended with secrecy, thus a seriously flawed pact was entered into by the Philippines, to the prejudice of Philippine carriers," the senator said.

On the South Korea agreement, Sotto said the DOTC representative grabbed the chairmanship of the panel from the DFA and then charged the position of the panel and accepted the Korean proposals. The Koreans got what they wanted."