'Stop peddling lies,' PAL tells PALEA

By SAMUEL MEDENILLA
November 9, 2010, 7:48pm
Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Airlines (PAL) asked on Tueday officers of the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) to stop peddling lies and produce documentary proof to show alleged links of PAL Chairman Lucio Tan to three service providers that will take over its Inflight Catering, airport services, and call center departments.

“The best proofs are the corporate records of these companies. However, PAL is under no obligation to disclose them. As the one making baseless and malicious claims, the burden of proof is on PALEA,” PAL said in a statement.

PAL issued the statement after PALEA urged Congress to investigate the owners of the service providers, which will take over its three non-core departments affected by its impending spin-off.
PALEA President Gerardo Rivera had accused PAL of violating the provision of its outsourcing program since the owners of its three service providers are allegedly affiliated with Tan.

But PAL stressed that the three service providers, namely: SPi CRM (the new name of e-PLDT Ventus) – the call center unit of PLDT-owned SPi Global, as well as Sky Kitchen and Sky Logistics which are both owned by businessman Manny Osmena “are not related in any way to the Lucio Tan Group of Companies.”

“PALEA officers have a penchant for spreading false accusations and rumors without proof. Worse, it is using Congress to serve its malicious agenda. PAL hopes lawmakers would not allow themselves to be used by PALEA in its ‘witch hunting’ activities,” the airline said.

PAL added that its lawyers are currently studying the airline’s legal options and whether it can sue PALEA officers for spreading false information.

As this developed, PAL said the bonuses which PALEA claims were given to top airline officials at a time when it is incurring losses actually represent the 13th month and 14th month pay that all other PAL workers received. “PAL will be in violation of the law if it will not give out the mandatory 13th month pay, whereas the 14th month pay is the same bonus received by all PAL workers but the amount, of course, depends on the salary grade of each employee,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, PAL said it is ready to share its views and clarify issues regarding its spin-off program during Thursday’s scheduled hearing in Congress. Airline officials were invited by the House labor committee to shed light about the planned spin-off as well as the recent ruling by the Department of Labor and Employment. The company stressed, however, that its officials are constrained from talking about cases that are still pending litigation as these matters are sub judice in nature.