PAL scores detractors for ‘wild’ accusations

Business Mirror
November 2, 2011

PHILIPPINE Airlines on Tuesday lashed out against its detractors for hastily laying the blame on the airline management for Saturday’s confrontation at the PAL Inflight Center (IFC) in Pasay City.
In a statement, PAL said those who know nothing better than make wild and baseless accusations against the airline should shut up and let the police do the investigative work.

The airline said it was grossly irresponsible for some left-leaning sectoral representatives to accuse PAL management of harassing laid-off workers.

“It was clear from news reports and photographs taken from the scene that former PAL workers barred the airline’s catering truck from leaving its own facility. They were armed with rattan truncheons, planks with nails and even burned a carton box, all with the aim of inflicting harm should the truck driver insist on leaving PAL’s Inflight Center. So who’s harassing who?” PAL asked.

PAL said it was also lamentable that police authorities “were nowhere to be found” when its truck was being blocked by protesters, but conveniently “arrested” someone who claims to have been hired by PAL management to “disperse” its former employees’ camp.

“Worse, authorities were reportedly unable to apprehend those responsible for the death of a hapless bystander,” PAL said.

As to the stench allegedly emanating from its Inflight Center, PAL said protesting former PAL workers have only themselves to blame. “They won’t allow our trucks to leave the facility; even a garbage truck from Pasay City’s waste management office was prevented by protesters from picking up garbage unless these were brought to the IFC gate. And now they complain that the area stinks? Let them have a dose of their own medicine,” PAL stressed.

On PAL’s alleged refusal to provide protesting former workers with free tickets, it said: “PAL reserves the right to refuse conveyance to those who make false and malicious claims that the airline is unsafe and whose ultimate goal is to bring down the company.”

Meanwhile, PAL staff members based in the airline’s North America regional office in San Francisco denounced the picket staged on October 27 by American unionists in the Bay Area in support of dismissed PAL workers in Manila.

The San Francisco-based PAL union members expressed collective support to the airline’s efforts at normalizing operations after implementation of its outsourcing program on October 1.

In a signed manifesto, 10 US-based PAL unionists rejected calls to join the October 27 picket held in front of the Philippine Consulate led by members of the Burlingame, California-based International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers.

(Recto Mercene)