BAGUIO City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has tasked the City Legal Office to probe the anomalies involving budget airline Cebu Pacific and the local Judo team.
On Monday afternoon, September 16, Magalong convened representatives from the airline with Judo coaches at City Hall to get to the bottom of the impasse and reach a decision.
Magalong said that based on accounts of coaches of the team, the 18-member delegation was not allowed to board the aircraft bound for Palawan to attend the Batang Pinoy National Finals.
The coaches vouched that the airline failed to inform the group of the change of boarding gates, causing the group to miss their flight despite reaching the new boarding gate on time.
Public outrage against Cebu Pacific went viral on social media.
Magalong said the accounts of the entire team merits an investigation, as well as the mulling of charges against the airline.
He said representatives from the airline appeared on Monday, September 16, to talk to and convince the City not to push through with the filing of charges.
Coaches and parents have left the decision to Magalong on how to rule on the matter, demanding nothing from the City nor the airline.
"They didn't demand anything. They just want justice for what happened to them," Magalong said.
The coaches also expressed their gratitude to the public who supported them in the ordeal and for raising funds enough to cover additional expenses caused by the missed flight.
Support came from local and foreign kind-hearted souls who chipped in to donate to the local team.