Davao City LGU to press charges against DIA personnel

DAVAO CITY, June 27 (PIA) Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio stood firm in pressing charges against the management of the Davao International Airport for its slow response in attending to the welfare on the passengers of the flight 5J-971 of the Cebu-Pacific plane that veered away from the runway when it landed 7:00 pm in June 2.

She said the city government wants to know why the Davao International Airport management did not respond to attend to the passengers immediately after the incident.

Duterte-Carpio said it is no longer the concern of the city about the reason and the manner the plane incident happened.

“We have already filed the complaint and it is now up to the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct its own investigation,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio said the complaint is supported with pertinent annexes and attachments as required by law .

She chided the national office of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for its alleged inaction on the local government’s plea even the in the past to remove and replace the current management of the DIA.

Duterte-Carpio declined to declare the nature of complaint against the DIA management and personnel so that they cannot prepare immediately their defense in the investigation.

“It is best that we will not announce our complaint against them so that they cannot cover their tracks,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio said the city government will no longer file complaints against the Cebu-Pacific Airlines since they are already being investigated by the CAAP.

She said it is now up to the CAAP to impose penalties against the airline company.

Duterte-Carpio said they no longer investigate the cause of the mishap since the local government does not have the competence to scrutinize the factors why the plane veered away from the runway after touching down.

The DIA management got the ire of the mayor after its personnel did not allow the medical team of the Emergency Response Center Central 911 to enter the airport immediately after the incident.

Duterte-Carpio recalled the that the medical team of Emergency Response Center returned to the airport and was allowed access only after an airport security guard called up 911 informing about the condition of twenty passengers who needed medical assistance two hours after the incident. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)