Tourism groups urge dismissal of CAB official

Tourism groups accused an official of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) yesterday of promoting the interest of another country’s airlines as they asked President Arroyo to censure or dismiss the executive for alleged treasonous acts.

The Save Our Skies (SOS) Movement, to which the tourism groups belong, said it received reliable information that CAB board member Alberto Lim has asked members of the Palawan Tourism Council to petition the government to review the RP-Korea air agreement.

Lim reportedly made the request during the meeting of the council two weeks ago at the Kamarikutas Art Gallery in Puerto Princesa.

Informants told the SOS that Lim asked the members of the council to sign a petition paper urging President Arroyo to consider the position of the Korean carriers seeking additional seat entitlements.

"Where can you see an official of the Philippine government promoting the interest of foreign carriers? This is a treason," the SOS said.

The SOS said Lim should be investigated for his action as this would jeopardize the local aviation industry.

"Lim’s action only reinforced our earlier accusation that he is a lobbyist for foreign interests in the aviation industry," the SOS said.

The group revealed that prior to Lim’s appointment to the CAB, he was an active member of the Freedom to Fly Coalition (FFC), which was unmasked in the Senate as being funded by foreign money and a lobbyist for foreign aviation interests in the country.

Lim has been the object of complaints from tourism groups, which have questioned his objectivity and impartiality as an official of the CAB because of his links to the FFC.

Local aviation groups had earlier objected to the RP-Korea air agreement signed on Nov. 29, 2001 by former Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez because even though the carriers of both countries were granted four additional flight frequencies, the Korean airlines were allowed to use bigger aircraft.

The use of bigger aircraft by Korean airlines, aviation groups said, has enabled the Koreans to carry more passengers than RP carriers, thus putting the latter at a disadvantage.

The SOS said the local lobbyists of Korean carriers have conveniently blamed the drop in Korean tourists to the supposed lack of seat capacity on the route.

"This is just an excuse to obtain additional seat entitlements for the Koreans because in reality there is overcapacity on the route," the SOS said.

The group said the reason for the drop in Korean tourist arrival is the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) scare and the peace and order situation in the Philippines, not the lack of air seat capacity.