PAL belies claim it hired goons against protesters

Philippine Airlines on Saturday belied claims by its former employees that the company hired “goons" to disperse the protesters’ camp at PAL’s Inflight Center near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2. PAL said in a statement “they never resort to extra legal means to remove protesting former employees from their campsite." A catering truck was about to exit PAL’s Inflight Center (IFC) along MIA Road Saturday morning when protesting members of the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) blocked its way. The airline management said protesters wielding night sticks and using planks with spikes, blocked the gate, preventing the vehicle from exiting the compound. “This clear act of harassment which hampers the normal flow of PAL’s operations led to a standoff between protesters and PAL guards stationed at the IFC’s Gate 1. In fact, the Catering truck and PAL’s shield-wielding guards retreated after protesters set a box on fire in front of the truck," according to PAL’s statement. PAL said it has no knowledge of the alleged harassment against the protesters, adding that participants in the strike may have actually hired the supposed goons “to make up stories so PAL would look bad." Moreover, PAL said the incident happened at a time when thousands of PAL passengers have gone to the airport during the peak travel season. “PAL has every reason to protect airline equipment, its workers and those of its service providers from threats or actual physical harm. The Constitution, in fact, guarantees PAL's right to free and unhampered access to and from its own facility," PAL added. A thorough investigation has been requested by the management to determine the cause of incident, and what legal actions the airline to take against protesters. — B.L. Vergara/BG, GMA News