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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Espinoza: What’s wrong with Mangaoang?
By Elias L. Espinoza
E-BOOKING. Two days before I left for Makati two Sundays ago to attend the induction of officers of Cagwait Foundation Inc., an association of fellow Cagwaitnons (my hometown) in Metro Manila, I tried the online booking of Philippine Airlines (PAL) for the first time.
I was so surprised that it would not accept bookings earlier than three days before departure.
In the US, an online booking is accepted even if it is a day before departure. Payment is done by simply encoding the credit card number. Once accepted, all you do is print the ticket from your printer.
I called Jun Canton of PAL to inquire but he also had no immediate answer. He told me to wait while he asked the concerned department of PAL.
After a few minutes, Jun sent me a text message explaining the three-day restriction on PAL’s Internet booking. Jun cited two reasons: unreliable and unstable communications and credit card restriction in Asia as against the US or Australia.
It would seem that it is still a long way before our airline companies can attain online booking technology as practiced in developed countries, like the US.
The three-day restriction on PAL’s online booking is understandable. Aside from unreliable communication infrastructure, there is apparent lack of confidence in the online payment by credit card.
I understand that PAL offers online booking so its customers can avoid the long wait in the ticket offices. But I suppose payment of online booking is still done at the ticketing office.
FILED. So it has been done. Customs Collector Lourdes Mangaoang made good her threat to file criminal and administrative cases against personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Mandaue City policemen.
Well, filing the cases is the collector’s right but proving the charges is another. The policemen were charged for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, conduct unbecoming and prejudicial to the interest of service, and defiance of the Tariff and Customs Code.
The charges stemmed from the seizure by the police of vans that contained expensive right-hand-drive (RHD) motor vehicles outside of customs jurisdiction.
I don’t want to preempt the Office of the Ombudsman in its possible decision or ruling in these cases but apparently there is something wrong with the charges.
First, the policemen, in apprehending the RHD motor vehicles for violating Republic Act 8506, did not disadvantage the government, which benefited from their action.
Second, the seizure was on the strength of a search warrant duly issued by the court, hence, the policemen acted upon a lawful order. Third, they apprehended the hot goods outside of customs’ jurisdiction, so they did not interfere with the work of customs.
I suppose it was the immeasurable embarrassment over the police seizure of the RHD vehicles and not the so-called defiance of the Tariff and Customs Code that brought about the charges against the policemen.
I am still guessing, though, what sort of criminal and administrative cases the lady customs collector will file against Regional Trial Court Judges Ulric Cañete and Ireneo Lee Gako Jr.
After a hearing the other day at Capitol, I met some fellow lawyers at the IBP canteen. You know what, the first thing they asked was, “What’s wrong with Mangaoang?” I just shrugged my shoulders.
TEXT QUOTE. Joe, a close buddy, just sent me a text that I would like to share with you. It runs like this. “Contentment is wanting what you have, not having everything you want.”
(August 13, 2005 issue)
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