Noy urged to be wary of 'misinformation' on open skies

MANILA, Philippines -  President Aquino was urged to be on guard against “misinformation” about an open skies policy, especially a claim that the implementation of such a policy in Bali, Indonesia was the cause for the tourism haven’s success.

Robert Lim Joseph, founder of several national tourism organizations and chairman of the Save Our Skies (SOS) group, yesterday said Indonesia does not have or never had an open skies policy.

Joseph said that no less than the Indonesian aviation panel at the recently-concluded Philippine-Indonesian air talks had stated that their country does not practice open skies, specially for flights to Bali.

Bali has been cited by open skies proponents in pushing for the signing of Executive Order 29 imposing pocket open skies in international airports outside of Metro Manila, supposedly to boost tourism.

Joseph said the “disinformation” on the open skies policy has long been promoted by the Freedom to Fly Coalition, to mislead the government into adopting an open skies policy.

Joseph blamed Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and his support of open skies for the passage of the new lopsided open skies policy contained in EO 28 and 29.

He said that even when Lim, a founding member of FFC, was with the Civil Aeronautics Board, he was accused of engaging in acts prejudicial to the interest of the Philippines.

Joseph said Lim, the FFC and other open skies lobbyists were already unmasked in the Senate by Sen. Serge Osmeña in 2003 as lobbyists for foreign aviation interests.

“He (Osmeña) even got their admission that they were being funded by foreign governments. They even used professors from the University of Asia and the Pacific, Asian Institute of Management and De La Salle University as resource persons to justify their agenda,” he added.