Government ends role in airline row

MANILA -- The government has ended its intervention on the rift between the Philippine Airline (PAL) management and its disgruntled pilots.

This happened after PAL management assured that it can iron things out without the intervention of the government, according to Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

PAL said it will submit to Civil Aeronautics Board the revised schedules for all its flights.

It also committed to normalize its operations under the reduced flight frequency without transferring its A320 pilots to Air Philippines.

PAL management will also undertake dialogues with the remaining pilots to resolve the issues.

"As far as the government is concerned, we will let the PAL and the pilots resolve their problems through promised dialogue," Lacierda noted, assuring that the government will monitor the outcome of every talk.

Lacierda admitted that the worst is over for the riding public affected by the dispute of PAL, thus government’s intervention is not needed anymore.

He said the modified flight schedule will normalize the operation of PAL and expected that there will be no disrupted flights from now on.

The operations of PAL were disrupted and thousands of domestic and international-bound passengers were stranded after the pilots refused to attend to their duties last weekend.

Representative Jane Castro (second district, Capiz) is urging the government to tap military pilots as temporary replacements for the pilots of PAL.

She, however, cautioned: "If it will not prejudice the routine military operations and if no one among the resigned pilots will be go back to PAL, considering the magnitude of the damage it will cause to the prestige and honor of the country."

Castro said nobody can make the resigned pilots return to work amid looming lawsuit.

“Work should be voluntary and not involuntary-unless we go back to the historical norm of forced labor,” Castro said.

Castro noted that while the resignation is a civil and not a criminal breach, their acts have still caused setbacks that involve finances or financial standing.

To prevent another exodus of its pilots, Castro urged the PAL management to see how it could possibly bridge the gap between the salaries it offers and that of foreign airline companies. (Jill Beltran/Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)

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