Palace asks PAL, PALEA to exercise sobriety after weekend clash

Malacañang on Monday called on the Philippine Airlines management and its protesting former employees to exercise sobriety amid the violent incident over the weekend which left seven people injured. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte described the incident as unfortunate and deplorable. "While we understand that emotions are running high, we call on both PAL and PALEA to exercise sobriety in their dealings with each other," Valte said in a statement issued Monday. She added that Malacañang continues to monitor the situation via the monitoring team deployed by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. "We expect a fair and thorough investigation on the incident," Valte said. PAL claimed that a catering truck was about to exit PAL’s Inflight Center (IFC) along MIA Road Saturday morning when protesting members of the PALEA (PAL Employees Association) 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. The former employees claimed that the PAL management hired goons to disperse the protesters. PAL management has denied the allegation. 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. PALEA has been staging a picket due to a labor dispute with PAL after the airline subjected over 2,600 regular employees and union members to a mass retrenchment to accommodate a new outsourcing scheme. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News