A former official the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are facing graft charges for pressuring flight operations inspectors to pass pilots who failed their proficiency exams and for faking a certificate for an aviation company.
According to the media bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman, Daniel Dimagiba, former CAAP deputy director, has been accused of pressuring two CAAP flight operations inspectors to pass Captains Saturnino Dela Cruz and Jayfred Basawil despite failing their Pilot Proficiency Flight Checks.
He supposedly threatened to withhold the licenses of six CAAP inspectors as well as funding for an International Civil Aviation Organization project unless they changed the grades of Dela Cruz and Basawil.
Dimagiba has also been accused of issuing an Air Carrier Operating Certificate to One Sky Aviation Services Inc. even though the company lacked the mandatory Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or Temporary Operating Permit.
“The irregular issuance of the ACOC eventually resulted in the issuance of a Foreign Air Carrier Operating Certificate by the Australian Government to OSASI,” the Office of the Ombudsman said.
It also said this placed CAAP “in a very embarrassing situation and jeopardized the CAAP’s relationship with its civil aviation authority counterparts in Australia and the rest of the world.”
Philippine carriers have been banned from European Union airspace since 2010 because of concerns over aviation standards. The US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Philippine aviation to Category 2 status which prohibits local carriers from expanding US routes.
The Philippines passed an ICAO audit in February, raising hopes that restrictions will be lifted soon.
