PAL exec scores Gemma

A top executive of Philippine Airlines (PAL) scored Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta yesterday for allegedly sowing discord in the local aviation industry.

PAL president and chief of operations Avelino Zapanta said Araneta's proposal for the Civil Aviation Board (CAB) to be taken out of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and placed under her department, could be exploited by foreign carriers.

This developed as the Department of Foreign Affairs strongly belied Taiwan's accusations that the Philippine government is to be blamed for the suspension of commercial flights between Manila and Taipei.

Zapanta said Araneta's proposal has weakened the Philippine government's position in the raging dispute with Taiwan over bilateral air service arrangement.

He also lashed out at Araneta for issuing a warning that Manila stands to lose some 200,000 Taiwanese visitors yearly if the air feud with Taipei is not settled immediately.

"It is very shameful and dishonorable, indeed, for a top government official - the secretary of tourism, no less - to seek to destroy the national flag carrier and drive a wedge in the country's aviation policy," Zapanta said.

"This divisive stance of the DOT has emboldened foreign interests, including foreign airlines, to engage in a big-budget lobby campaign to pressure the government to cave in to their demands," he added.

The proposal, raised during an industry summit in Manila last year, was allegedly aimed at controlling policies over the country's commercial aviation.

Zapanta indicated that Araneta's proposal would wreak havoc on the aviation industry as the tourism department has nothing to do with cargo handling, outbound passengers as well as homecoming Filipinos.

The PAL executive also told reporters during a press briefing at the Century Park Hotel in Manila that the perceived crack in national solidarity, which he blamed on Araneta, "emboldened foreign vested interests to take advantage of our disunity."

He was apparently referring to Taiwan which was driving a hard bargain against the Philippines in the renegotiation of the bilateral air service agreement.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Franklin Ebdalin lashed out at Taiwan for putting the blame on the Philippines for the suspension of direct flights between Manila and Taipei, the second such incident to hit bilateral air relations in six months.

"This is a complete distortion of the facts," Ebdalin said in a statement.

Ebdalin tossed back the accusation, saying Taipei caused the severance of the air service agreement between the two countries through "abusive and unfair actions."

Taiwanese officials ordered last Wednesday Eva Airways and China Airlines (CAL) to stop direct flights to Manila.

The move came after Manila aviation authorities disallowed two Taiwanese carriers from landing in Manila.

The CAB justified the move by saying it was only in retaliation to Taiwan's violation of the agreement by exceeding their passenger limit.

Taipei unilaterally reduced last month PAL's access to Taiwan to four flights a week, equivalent to 1,200 seats, from seven flights, in violation of an interim bilateral accord which allows a maximum of 4,800 seats weekly.

On the other hand, Taipei officials said they were cutting the direct air links in a retaliatory move after an Eva Airways plane was prevented from landing in Manila last Tuesday.

They viewed it as an "unfriendly move" that could affect normal ties between the two countries.

Philippine and Taiwanese carriers resumed direct flights last Feb. 16 after signing an interim agreement last Jan. 28. It would have allowed their respective aviation officials to negotiate a new permanent accord to replace their 1996 pact.

Air Transportation Official chief Jake Ortega Jr. has said the air dispute could worsen as the two parties remained firm on their respective positions.

"We stand by our decision to suspend the flights of Taiwan's two carriers, CAL and Eva Airways. Our mandate is to protect our national flag carrier," Ortega said.

Taiwanese aviation officials have argued that their airlines could go beyond the 4,000-passenger limit set by the interim agreement, provided that the excess passengers come from outside Taipei.

But the CAB rejected their argument.

When the CAB disapproved CAL's application to fly out of Kaoshiung, the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Board cut PAL's flights to Taipei from seven to four times a week.

Despite the suspension, PAL will still sell tickets to Taipei at the same price, although the passengers will have to take a connecting flight in Hong Kong.

"This bit of inconvenience is a small price to pay for the sake of Philippine sovereignty. The public must not forget that at stake in this war is the country's reputation. We cannot allow Taiwan to trample on our rules and regulations and to disregard elementary rules of fair play," PAL said in a statement.