GREETINGs just the same to my editor-colleagues at the Manila Times for publishing on Wednesday an article (Aviation officials turn over P1.4-B check to national gov’t) whereby yours truly was lashed at by officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), without bothering to get my reaction.

But then, in this business, the rush to print a story sometimes brooks the code of ethics of journalists and having been here for over two decades, almost anything is “par for the course,” as others put it. I am just comforted though, that it’s not our practice here at People’s Tonight and the other publications of PJI.

Admittedly, I haven’t read the article and a lot of other friends and acquaintances besides. Walang nakabasa sa mga kakilala at kaibigan ko at kung ’di pa napansin ng ibang tao na interesado sa lahat ng isinusulat ko tungkol sa CAAP, hindi ko pa matatanggap ang Internet version sa aking e-mail.

And here’s itemizing that article to see if its details would justify the indignation displayed by CAAP director general Ramon Gutierrez and ADG Elmer Peña.

Well then, the CAAP, as a GOCC (created under RA 9497) turned over P1.4 billion to the government last February 6, representing half of its net income from 2008 up to 2010.

Aber, may kinikita pala ang CAAP? Eh, bakit hanggang ngayon, Pebrero na, ‘yung 14th month bonus ng mga empleyado hindi pa ninyo ibinibigay sa katwiran na “walang pera” ang ahensiya?

There is too, the deteriorated state of PH airports which operates below international standards. An example of which is the Davao International Airport currently on ‘Category 7’ status when it should have been ‘Category 9.’

Hindi ba may report at rekomendasyon na ang Aerodrome and Navigation Safety Oversight Office (ANSOO) sa matagal nang problema na ‘yan?

The backers of these CAAP fat cats in and out of Malacañang might be interested to know that the simple reason behind Davao’s below-standard category is its lack of firefighting capability, a simple matter that should have been attended to long ago but for the misplaced priorities of the CAAP.

Kapag may nangyaring insidente d’yan sa Davao katulad ng pagkasunog ng eroplano, aba’y talagang sisikat na naman ang ‘Pinas! And you can thank the likes of Gutierrez and Peña for the international attention such possibility would give us!

Yes, DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas, dagdag-firetruck lang ang kailangan sa Davao para umangat sa Category 9 at kung ayaw itong gastusan ng CAAP mula sa kinikita nito, eh, bakit?

And we are not even talking here of airport runways, which if pilots are to be asked, are also poorly maintained, samantalang aspalto lang naman ang kailangan, tsk,tsk,tsk!

And excuse me, ADG Peña, I am not “desperate” to have the license of Airphil pilot, Capt. Jorino Ledesma released, which you are claiming to be behind my critical articles on CAAP.

I am in fact, angered over your cavalier treatment of his case and many others as well. At kaya ako nagtatanong sa status ng kanyang lisensiya ay dahil sa paniwalang matitinong tao at mga propesyunal ang napapalagay sa gobyerno ni P-Noy at gagawa ng tama at naaayon sa tuwid na landas.

Thus, I apologize for the inconvenience that my misplaced trust brought you.

Let me put on record that I am not a friend of Capt. Ledesma. Hindi ko siya kilala ng personal at wala akong kinikita sa kanya.

But as journalist, I get to meet a lot of people asking for help for this problem and that. Some I can help, some I can’t.

In the case of Capt. Ledesma, I look into the records and saw a victim of official abuse. So then, what’s wrong with helping victims of abuse? Anong masamang tulungan ang mga binibiktima ng mga abusado sa loob at labas ng gobyerno eh, kasama na ‘yan sa trabaho ng media?

For the records would show that the CAAP refused to release Capt. Ledesma’s license on the allegation of him and his crew being intoxicated while on a flight from Kalibo to Manila last August.

However, the insertion in the MT article that he was also accused of “sexual attempt” is a complete fabrication concocted by Peña and Gutierrez. It’s a lie they accepted as gospel truth coming as it did from FO Giselle Bendong, Capt. Ledesma’s co-pilot at Airphil.

At bakit hindi naman paniniwalaan ni Gutierrez itong si Bendong eh, magkasama sila noon sa Corporate Air, which was providing small aircrafts (feeder planes) to Federal Express in Subic. They were “very close” (malapit sila sa isa’t isa) to each other, my sources say.

Incidentally, Sec. Mar might want to ask the aircraft technicians of Corporate Air who trained abroad on what was their “quid pro quo” back then with Gutierrez? Ano ang kapalit ng pag-apruba ni Gutierrez na mag-training sila sa US?

As for Bendong, I am sure that Gutierrez and Peña were aware of her reputation at Cebu Pacific? Eh, kung kinukunsinti ninyo ang babaing ito, bakit naman? Sabagay, mestisa siya.

But was there any formal CAAP investigation of Capt. Ledesma up to the time they withheld the release of his license in October? Nadah, nothing, wala, as confirmed to me by Peña himself. Nag-imbestiga na lang sila noong nagpunta na siya sa media.

Indeed, Ledesma’s lawyer, Argee Guevarra, had already written a demand letter to Gutierrez in December because of this breach in due process, a constitutional provision by the way, but to no avail.

Of course, both Airphil and CAAP have been saying they got “proof” that Capt. Ledesma and his crew are indeed intoxicated (drunk) at the time of the incident. Mayroon daw kasing “official receipt” mula sa bar kung saan nakadetalye ang dami ng alak na kanilang na-order.

But what they continue to hide and deny was the sworn statement of the bar owner revealing that there was no official receipt at all! Kumbaga, “ginawa” lang pala sa Recto ang ebidensiya laban sa kanya, tsk,tsk,tsk!

Mayroon ding medical certificate mula sa St. Luke’s Hospital na hindi pagsusuka dahil sa kalasingan pero, “food poisoning” ang dahilan kung bakit nanghihina ang isa sa kanyang mga crew pero binasura lang yata ito ng mga imbestigador ng Airphil/CAAP?

The bar owner swore to the effect that they were coerced by both Airphil and the CAAP into damning Capt. Ledesma. Pinilit silang maglubid ng kasinungalingan ng Airphil at CAAP para lang panindigan ang kanilang bintang na “lasing” siya at kanyang mga kasama.

Nasa akin ang kopya ng sworn statement na ito kaya ang tanong: May kopya rin ba kayo nito, DG Gutierrez at ADG Peña? Sabagay, mas magandang sa Ombudsman na lang ito ipakita.

Sa ganitong klase ng pagsasabwatan ng mga malalaki at nasa kapangyarihan, hindi mo rin ba tutulungan ang biktima, NPC Pres. Jerry Yap, AFIMA president Benny Antiporda at Mommy Tess?

And having started this attack on me, rest assured, DG Gutierrez and ADG Peña, that I have enough documents to support my previous argument that your entire gang does not deserve to be placed at a very sensitive office such as the CAAP. Nakakaawa ang Pilipinas sa inyo.

At ang panawagang ito ay hindi dahil para lang paboran si Capt. Ledesma. Para ito sa bayan, sa ikabubuti ng gobyernong Aquino, kaya... abangan!

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