PAL Interclub Golf Championship

Philippine Daily Inquirer – Inquirer Golf Monthly
September 1998
Al S. Mendoza
True Grip

February is still a good six months away but already, the nation's amateur golfers are worried sick that the PAL Interclub Golf Championship won't be staged again in February 1999.

If that should happen at all, that'd be a big blow to Philippine golf.

The PAL Interclub has become an institution for the last 52 years that scrapping it now would mean killing a cherished tradition.

I love history. I love tradition. The PAL Interclub has both—and more. In fact, the PAL Interclub is unofficially known as the country's National Team Golf Championship.

It is my prayer that the PAL moguls seriously think about the implications of a PAL Interclub not being seen again in 1999. For that'd be a crime as abominable as seeing Erap suddenly losing his cool and deciding suddenly to leave Malacañang -- for good.

That wouldn't be fun at all.@

Erap Wears Heart on His Sleeve

The Journal

September, 1998 

Just This Once

By Alfredo G. Rosario

The President has his hands full dealing with the pressing problems of the nation. The latest of these, of course is the decision of the Philippine Airlines to close down. Notwithstanding the standoff between the PAL management and the employees union, the President has been making personal last-ditch efforts to resolve the labor dispute.

He may not succeed but he has demonstrated his real concern for the workers who will lose their jobs and go hungry.

PAL Ticket Holders Nowhere to Turn to

The Negros Chronicle

Tuesday, September 29, 1998

The holders of Philippine Airlines ticket has nowhere to refund due to the closure of PAL's ticketing office in the domestic airport here.

Everyday, since PAL closed last week, the ticket holders tried refund their tickets but to no avail due to the closure of its office in this city.

Many of those who tried to claim refund were those whose tickets were returned to three days before its closure.

The ticket holders were given each a paper as a proof that they priority when PAL sends money to refund the tickets.

However, as of yesterday, none of the claimants had been refunded. Those who went to PAL office only Sunday had nowhere to go to get even a bit of information on how to refund their tickets.

Last Thursday, PAL ticket file clerk Rolando Austero, PALEA shop steward for Legazpi office, said the office could not refund the tickets due to absence of cash. Austero said refund could only be done if there are ticket sales.

But due to the closure of PAL, Austero said all the cash were all ready deposited in the bank and the only way for ticket holders to refund is to go to PAL's Refund Center in Greenbelt, Makati.

He said all the ticket holders who tried to get refund were all ready advised to go to the Refund Center.

'Asia's Sunniest' to Shine Anew?

The Negros Chronicle

Tuesday, September 29, 1998

The Philippine Airlines is expected to again fly the friendly skies on Wednesday, after its management and labor union finally came to an agreement to save the company.

This was announced by President Estrada in a press briefing called at the Main Conference Room of Malacañang as he welcomed the decision of the PAL Employees' Association (PALEA) to accept the offer of PAL Chairman Lucio Tan of 60,000 shares of stock for each worker. In exchange for a 10-year suspension in the collective bargaining agreement.

PALEA submitted to President Estrada a letter appealing for the reopening of PAL “in the interest, not only of the thousand employees of PAL who are presently out of jobs, but for the greater interest of the Filipino nation.

"To assure investors and creditors of industrial peace, PALEA agrees, subject to the ratification by the general membership the suspension of the PAL-PALEA CBA for a period of 10 years, provided safeguards are in place,” the letter stated.

The ratification is set to be called on Wednesday during general meeting with the members of the union, where a document is expected to be passed around for their signature signifying their approval of the move to accept the Tan offer.

The letter asking for the President's intercession in the PAL problem was signed by PALEA President Alexander Barrientos, PALEA Vice-President Garardo Rivera and board members Pablito Arcilla, Marlon Balanquit, Jaime Bautista, Paulino Hernandez, Jose Arcadio Relova, Dennis Aranas, Romeo Sauler and Noel Tria.

Back-tracking on their earlier decision not to accept the Tan offer, PALEA officers said, "We are amenable to the following, subject ratification of the general noted membership," which include the decisions by PAL management to remove 3,000 of the 8,000 employees through voluntary retirement.

This was how Executive Secretary Ronald Zamora interpreted the condition cited by PALEA who noted that the airline “shall grant the benefits under the 26 July 1998 Memorandum of agreement forged by and between PAL and PALEA to those employees who may opt to retire or be separated from the company,’’

Zamora, in the same press briefing, said PAL may resume with a reduced workforce of just 5,000, or it can retain its present size of 8,000 depending on the decision of the management.

President Estrada said the agreement between PAL and PALEA will be maintained, even if foreign investors come in to infuse more capital in the airline to sustain its operations and the airline to sustain its operation and prevent its collapse.

Among the two airlines which are expected to come as new investors in PAL are Cathay Pacific and Northwest Airline, President Estrada said. The Chief Executive visions limiting the ownership of the individual to just 40 percent of the Philippine companies will have to be maintained with the entry of PAL investors.

2 Dayuhang Kompanya, Interesado sa PAL

Kabayan

Saturday, September 26, 1998

Kunumpirma ni Pangulong Estrada na may dalawang dayuhang kompanya ang interesadong sagipin ang Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL).

Ayon kay Estrada, mayroong dalawang dayuhang airline company na nakahandang pumasok sa PAL upang maiwasan ang tuluyang paghinto ng operasyon nito. Gayunman, tumanggi si Estrada na banggitin ang pangalan ng dalawang kompanya.

"Hindi ko masabi, pero meron nang dalawang kompanyang malalaki ang interesado sa PAL," ani Estrada.

Kaugnay rito, bumuo ng isang Management Committee and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) na siyang naatasang mangasiwa sa mga assets ng PAL at magsuri na rin sa mga natitirang posibilidad upang ito ay muling bigyan ng buhay at muling makapaglingkod sa mga mamamayan.

Sa isang ipinalabas na order ng SEC, sinabi nito na bumuo na sila ng isang comittee (ito ay naayon na rin sa petisyon ng PAL) para pag-aralan kung ano pa ang maaaring gawin para maiwasan ang pagka-ubos ng 'assets' ng naturang kompanya.

Sa naging kautusan ni Fe Eloisa Gloria, Chairman ng hearing panel, at sina Josefina Pasay-Paz at Ysobel Yasay-Murillo (mga miyembro ng hearing panel) na bubuo sila ng may anirn na katao para siyang magmando sa nasabing operasyon.

Ang anim na katao ay magmumula sa PAL management, labor sector, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, government financial institutions (GPIs) at SEC. Aalamin sa Isang eleksyon sa mga nasabing opisyal sa kung sino ang kanilang hihiranging Chairman ng Management Committee.

Sa ilalim din ng nasabing kautusan, ang magiging kapangyarihan ng nasabing kumite ay ang sumusunod:

- mangasiwa at mangalaga sa lahat ng 'existing asset' at pag-aari ng PAL;

- mag-evaluate ng mga existing assets at liabilities;

- maghanap at magdetermina ng mga paraan upang protektahan ang interes ng

mga investors at creditors; at

- patuloy na pag-aralan at suriin ang mga feasibility studies na puwedeng

gamitin sa PAL para matuloy ang naputol na operasyon nito.

Ayon sa SEC, ang naturang komite ay hindi mananagot sa anumang mga hakbangin at desisyon na kanilang gagawin kaugnay ng usapin sa PAL.

"The management committee shall not be subject to any action, claim or demand for, in connection with, any act done or omitted to be done by it in good fate in the exercise of its function," sabi ng SEC.

Mga Piloto ng PAL, Idinemanda ni Tan

Kabayan

Saturday, September 26, 1998

Nagsampa ng P100-milyong libel suit noong Huwebes si Philippine Airlines (PAL) Chairman Lucio Tan laban sa Airline Pilots Association of the Philippines (ALPAP), spokesman nito, English broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) at ang reporter nito dahil sa paninirang-puri sa kanyang pangalan at reputasyon bilang isang kilalang negosyante.

Ang reklamo ay batay sa istoryang pinamagatang "Tan's firms made P25 billion as PAL bled," at editorial cartoon na nagpapakita na diumano'y sinadya ni Tan ang pagkalugi at pagsasara ng national flag carrier habang kumikita naman siya sa kanyang negosyo sa PAL.

Kabilang sa sinampahan ng kaso ay si Florencio Umali, spokesperson ng ALPAP, at Armand Nocum, reporter ng PDI.

Ang istorya ni Nocum ay batay sa mga pahayag ni Umali sa isang press conference ng ALPAP. Sa istoryang ito ni Nocum, nakasaad dito ang maraming alegasyon at paninirang-puri ng ALPAP spokesperson laban kay Tan.

Kasama rito ang sinasabing "kinita ni Tan mula sa PAL related deals na mabawi diumano nito ang kanyang pagkalugi ng P10.36 bilyon mula sa kanyang 70 percent equity sa PAL" sa kabila nang napaulat na pagkalugi nito

Ayon pa kay Umali, kumita diumano si Tan ng P3.93 bilyon bilang komisyon mula sa 12 aircraft leasing firms sa Japan at Hongkong.

Sa reklamong isinampa ng abogado ni Tan, sinabi ng PAL Chairman na ang nasabing balita ay "paninirang puri lamang sa kanyang pangalan at reputasyon na kanyang iningatan sa loob ng mahabang panahon sa larangan ng negosyo sa Pilipinas."

Ayon sa abogado ni Tan, may malisya ang pagkakasulat at pagkakalathala ng istoryang na ito dahil "alam ng nasasakdal na ang bintang na ito ay walang katotohanan na siyang naging dahilan ng biglaang paglalathala nang hindi inaalam kung may katotohanan nga o wala ang bintang na ito."

Labis na dinamdam ni Tan ang bintang at paninirang puri sa kanyang reputasyon, naging dahilan ng kanyang paghihinagpis at labis na pag-iisip, nararapat lamang na magbayad nang hindi bababa sa P100 milyon ang ibayad ng mga nasasakdal sa perwisyong idinulot nito sa kanya.

Nakiusap din si Tan sa korte na kailangang magbayad din nang exemplary damages ng hindi bababa sa P18 milyon dahil sa pagiging pabigla-bigla at pagwawalang-bahala sa kanyang karapatan at P2 milyon bilang attorney's fee at litigation expenses.

Samantala, sinabi ng Credit Agricole Indosuez (dating Banque Indosuez) na walang katotohanan ang mga naunang alegasyon ng ALPAP na nagtayo si Tan ng 12 dummy firms sa Japan, France at Hongkong upang makaligtas sa pagbabayad ng buwis.

Ang Credit Agricole Indosuez ay siyang head ng Asian Aerospace Group na sinasabi ng Alpap na isang dummy o front para sa mga financing activities ni Lucio Tan.

"Credit Agricole owns all those companies to hold title to the aircraft which is the security of the various lenders. They are not dummy firms, they are registered and functioning business entities engaged in aircraft lease transactions. Mr. Tan has absolutely no shareholding and receivables and no dividends from these companies," sabi ni Frederic Mireur ng Credit Agricole.

P100-M Libel vs ALPAP

Taliba

Saturday, September 26,1998

NAGSAMPA kahapon si Philippine Airlines (PAL) Chairman Lucio Tan ng P100 milyong libel suit laban sa Airline Pilots Association of the Philippines (ALPAP), sa spokesman nito, sa Philippine Daily Inquirer at sa isang reporter dahil sa umano’y paninira sa kanyang pangalan at reputasyon bilang isang prominenteng negosyante.

Ang reklamo bunga ng paglalathala sa nabanggit na pahayagan ng isang balita kung saan sinasabing kumita ang mga kumpanya ni Tan ng P25 milyon habang nalulugi ang PAL. Mayroon ding lumabas na editorial cartoon ng araw na iyon kung saan ipinapakitang sinasadya umano ni Tan ang pagbasak at pagsasara ng flag carrier habang kumikita naman sa mga negosyong kunektado pa rin sa PAL.

Ang pinanggalingan ng balita ay isang panayam kay ALPAP spokesperson Florencio Umali na kasama rin sa mga nakademanda.

Sa nasabing panayam, inakusahan ni Umali si Tan ng pagkita ng P3.93 bilyong komisyon mula sa 12 aircraft leasing firms nito sa Japan at Hongkong.

Sa reklamong isinampa ng abogado ni Tan, sinabi ng PAL Chairman na ang mga akusasyon ni Umali ay lubha umanong nakasisira ng kanyang reputasyon.