(Cebu Pacific )


Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is prodding Congress to suspend the legislative franchise of budget airlines Cebu Pacific amid mounting consumer complaints about its poor service. “A congressional franchise is a privilege that should not be used and enjoyed at the expense of the public. Congress should temporarily withdraw such privilege from Cebu Pacific until such time that it can provide satisfactory service to the riding public,” said Rodriguez. The veteran solon said he has been receiving many complaints from aggrieved passengers, including those from Cagayan de Oro City and other parts of Mindanao. Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said that the airline should refrain from selling tickets if it doesn't have the necessary aircraft to the carry passengers. He noted that Cebu Pacific “is always overbooking, resulting in the offloading of many booked passengers". Rodriguez also took to task regulators for failing to address passengers’ complaints and sanction erring airlines.

House probe?

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, which is one of the two chambers of Congress, could launch an inquiry on the Cebu Pacific issue in the coming weeks. This, after Gabriela Party-list filed House Resolution (HR) No.1093, which urges the Committee on Transportation to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the complaints against Cebu Pacific regarding overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches. "Poor customer service and lack of accountability in the airline industry have become a growing concern, with passengers being offloaded without valid reasons nor compensation, and being charged multiple times for unsuccessful bookings," read HR No.1093 filed by Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas. "It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the airline industry operates in compliance with regulations and standards that protect the interests of the public," the measure read.