Arroyo fires aviation chief
US Embassy tells citizens to avoid RP airlines
By Michael Lim Ubac, Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:55:00 01/18/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday sacked Air Transportation Office officer in charge Danilo Dimagiba as -- in a blow to Philippine civil aviation pride -- the United States Embassy advised Americans to shun Philippine carriers and fly only on airlines of countries that meet international safety standards.
In her directive, Ms Arroyo ordered Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza to take over the ATO in a concurrent capacity for three months.
She gave him a 90-day deadline to produce results that would enable the country’s civil aviation system to meet world standards.
“The President is giving Secretary Mendoza three months ... to address these administrative and technical issues (on aviation),” Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.
Asked if Ms Arroyo had fired Dimagiba from the ATO, Bunye said: “That is correct.”
Ms Arroyo’s move followed a decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration to downgrade the Philippines’ aviation safety oversight rating from Category 1 to Category 2 due to concerns over ATO’s oversight of air carrier operations.
Embassy ‘serious concerns’
In a message to American expatriates titled “Philippines Civil Aviation Safety Caution,” dated Jan. 15, the US Embassy said:
“Whenever possible, Americans traveling to and from the Philippines should fly to their destinations on international carriers from countries whose civil aviation authorities meet international aviation safety standards for the oversight of their air carrier operations under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.”
The embassy said the notice was transmitted as a public service to Americans in the Philippines in response to “serious concerns” about the Philippine aviation security standards.
Category 2 means that the FAA has assessed the Philippine government’s civil aviation authority as not being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards in its oversight of Philippine air carrier operations.
What rating means
On its website, the US FAA says the rating means the country lacks the laws or regulations that are needed for the certification and oversight of air carriers, according to minimum international standards.
It also lacks the technical expertise, resources and organization to license air operations, it does not have adequately trained and qualified technical personnel and does not provide adequate inspector guidance to ensure enforcement of minimum standards.
While in Category 2, Philippine air carriers will be permitted to continue current operations to the United States, but will be under “heightened” FAA surveillance.
Civil Aviation Act
The downgrade affects Philippine Airlines (PAL) -- the only Filipino airline that flies to the United States -- routes which account for 30 percent of its operating revenue.
PAL said the FAA downgrade meant it would not be allowed to fly new US routes or change the type of aircraft used to existing US destinations.
According to Bunye, Ms Arroyo’s sacking of Dimagiba was “coupled with legislative initiative,” or the passage of the Civil Aviation Act (CAA).
“I think this will remedy whatever technical deficiencies there are,” said Bunye.
Action from Congress
Of the US downgrade, Bunye said: “I believe this is for (an) administrative and technical requirement issue rather than safety. I don’t think they are questioning the safety of our planes and, based on record, we have a very high safety record.”
Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, chair of the House committee on transportation, said the law creating the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) could be enacted by next month after approval by the bicameral committee in Congress.
The proposed measure, which seeks to rename the ATO to the CAA, would grant fiscal autonomy to the CAA to enable it to upgrade air operations in the country.
“Hopefully, before yearend we would be elevated back to Category 1 ... Hopefully, before Christmas (2008),” Puentevella said.
Probe of ATO officials urged
Concerned ATO employees in a statement called on Ms Arroyo and Secretary Mendoza to investigate the ATO and some of its high-ranking officials.
Some ATO employees, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, cited what they said were records showing that the Philippines had 13 aviation-related accidents from October 2007 to January 2008 which they blamed on the supposed incompetence of some of these officials.
Mendoza, in a statement, welcomed a Senate inquiry into the downgrading of the Philippines safety rating.
No fiscal autonomy
“We welcome the Senate investigation in aid of legislation,” Mendoza said.
“The (DOTC) and its agencies will actively participate in the inquiry because this will enable the DOTC to push for the enactment of the bill for the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and for other bills pending in Congress related to transportation safety and security.”
Mendoza noted that the Philippines is a member of ICAO but remains one of the few countries with regulators that do not have independence and fiscal autonomy.
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, chair of the committee on public services, said in an e-mail that the bicameral conference committee could not be convened yet because the House of Representatives had yet to constitute the members of its panel.
He said that because of this, Congress would have to wait until it resumed its session on Jan. 28 before the bicameral committee could meet. With a report from Riza T. Olchondra
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