Cop to stop ATO from joining probe

A police officer who lost his entire family in last week's crash of an Air Philippines jet minutes before its scheduled landing in Davao City Airport is set to file today a petition to prevent the Air Transportation Office (ATO) from taking part in the probe of the worst aviation disaster in the country.

Superintendent Patricio Piñol, brother of Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, feared a whitewash in the probe if ATO "will investigate itself."

"How can we expect a fair and impartial investigation on this?" Piñol asked.

For his part, the governor said ATO should not be afraid to inhibit itself from the inquiry "if it has nothing to hide."

"If their allegation that they have nothing to do about the accident (is true), then they should allow an independent commission to conduct the probe," Piñol said, adding that would ensure that families of the victims would receive justice.

The call for ATO to exclude itself from the investigation mounted after an unidentified Air Philippines official revealed that Capt. Estraton Viluzmino Catipay, pilot of the ill-starred Flight 541, was enraged over a delayed advisory from air traffic controllers at the Davao City Airport to abort his landing.

"He (Catipay) was mad that the air traffic controllers called for the abort too late," the source said.

The source said Catipay had difficulty regaining altitude and was flying about 1,000 feet lower than the required altitude prior to landing.

The source said Catipay, a veteran commercial aviator for 30 years, was advised by the control tower to execute a missed approach, or make a turnaround toward Samal island because a Philippine Airlines plane was still on the runway.

The airport lacks a taxiway, which aircraft can use in going to the airport's apron.

The police officer's physician-wife Josephine, 38, and children Jara Patrice, 7, and Paul Andre, 4, perished in the early morning crash.

"I am all alone now," said Piñol, chief of police of Urdaneta City in Pangasinan, told reporters.