MANILA — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to review the books of airline companies over the non-refund of terminal fees paid for cancelled flights.
In a radio interview, Alvarez said he wants to determine where the money goes if the airline companies have failed to refund the terminal fees for missed flights.
Alvarez said there is no indication that the airline firms refund the terminal fee the passenger has paid for his previous ticket.
“Hindi ko alam nga, kaya nga mag-request ako sa COA for a special audit kasi yung terminal fee na binabayaran ng pasahero, kung hindi nila ini-refund yan doon sa pasahero o kaya binigay sa airport authority, aba eh public fund yan, (I don’t know where the money goes. That’s why I would ask COA for a special audit because the terminal fee paid by the passenger, if not refunded or given to the airport authority, is a public fund),” Alvarez said.
The terminal fee for domestic flights is PHP200 while the fee for international flights is PHP500.
Alvarez particularly slammed Cebu Pacific for imposing an additional charge for collecting the terminal fee.
The Speaker would also seek a review of the necessity of the travel tax payment.
“Tanggalin na yung travel tax. Ipa-review ko nga yan, (Travel tax should be removed. I’ll have it reviewed),” Alvarez said. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
