Poe: Senate will continue to monitor airlines' compliance on rights of passengers
Two Senate committees will continue to monitor compliance and sanction violations by airlines on the rights of their passengers.
"The hearing called by Senator (Nancy) Binay is already joint with Public Services and is not yet adjourned," Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee said.
Binay is chairperson of the Senate tourism committee.
"I believe it will continue to hear the matter until we see a positive resolution to the issues,’’ Poe stressed.
Poe said they would make a formal request for a written submission from Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on how they monitor compliance and sanction violations by airlines in relation to the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights.
She emphasized that it was surprising to hear the gaps in the regulations of CAB that allow for overbooking and cancellations without much consequence on the part of the airlines so we will also ask them to explain that.
"Since airlines are stressing that safety is their paramount consideration in the cancellation of flights, we will also seek CAAP's (Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines) report on how they conduct the maintenance of the planes and their contingency plan in relation to the existing supply chain issue," she said.
Poe said the Senate committees would hear and review the franchises "if we get a recommendation from the joint hearings that it is necessary to revise the terms and conditions of the franchise."
"Like we always say in Public Services, a franchise is a privilege. No oversight is too drastic when it is for the public good," she added.