Kin of Flight 541 victims welcome US court ruling

DAVAO CITY — The relatives of the victims of Air Philippines Flight 541 that crashed into a mountain on Samal Island on April 19, 2000 welcomed the recent decision of the Illinois Supreme Court that the case they filed against two American companies be tried in the United States and not in the Philippines.

North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, whose sister-in-law, nephew and niece were among the 131 passengers who perished in the crash, told The STAR that the case would move faster in the US than if it is pursued in the country.

"You know how justice is in the Philippines. Sometimes even in your lifetime you cannot expect justice. We are expecting a speedy action on our case in the US," said Piñol, one of the crash victims’ relatives actively pursuing the case as a group.

The group sued AAR Parts Trading Inc. and Fleet Business Credit Llc. for their corporate responsibility in allegedly failing to assure the worthiness of the ill-fated Boeing 737-200 when it was sold to Air Philippines.

Piñol said the landmark case is something that the victims’ relatives have vowed to pursue since they are suing the supplier of the aircraft itself and not the airline.

"And now, we are expecting a full-blown trial with the ruling of the Illinois Supreme Court," he said.

AAR and Fleet earlier lost to Pinol’s group, represented by the Chicago-based Nolan Law Group, when the Circuit Court of Cook County ruled against their petition that the case be tried in the Philippines.

Piñol said the recent ruling of the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the Circuit Court’s decision further bolstered their case.

Flight 541 was about to land at the Davao International Airport in the early morning of April 19, 2000 when it crashed into a coconut plantation on Samal Island.