Palea seeks reversal of criminal raps

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) on Friday filed with the Department of Justice a petition for review seeking the reversal of the criminal charges filed against 241 of its officers and members who staged a protest days before their termination in September last year.

Pasay City Assistant Prosecutor Ma. Theresa Cabalum recommended the indictment of Palea members and officers on June 20 this year for violating Section 81 (b) (5) of Republic Act No. 9497 or the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008, which prohibits any person from destroying or seriously damaging the facilities of an airport or disrupting the services of an airport.

The corresponding penalty for the offense is imprisonment ranging from one to two years, a fine between P50,000 and P500,000, or both if so determined by a court.

The respondents, through their lawyer Marlon Manuel, said the city prosecutor should not have entertained the complaint filed by the PAL management because the matter was a labor dispute and may not be brought before a prosecutor’s office without prior clearance from the labor department.

Moreover, the respondents said the offense penalized by Section 81 may only be filed by the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).