A sick 12-year-old boy, who was scheduled to undergo medical procedure for having a congenital deformity, was not allowed by budget airline Cebu Pacific to board their flight to Vietnam last Saturday night due to an alleged damaged p(–foul word(s) removed–)port.
Regin de Guzman Palileo, mother of the sick boy said she, her son, and mother Luisa Punzalan were scheduled to board Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J-751 at around 10:00 p.m. when a certain Mark Rotanel (airline check-in counter staff), prevented the boy from getting in the plane because he was using an alleged damaged p(–foul word(s) removed–)port.
Ms. Palileo said there was nothing wrong with her son’s travel document since he was able to use the same p(–foul word(s) removed–)port during their recent trip to the US without having any problem.
She also pleaded that they’d be allowed to travel explaining the condition of her son and the urgency of a medical treatment but the airline ground staff Rotanel reportedly insisted that the airline has the right to offload a p(–foul word(s) removed–)enger with a damaged p(–foul word(s) removed–)port.
On Sunday, Ms. Palileo formally filed a complaint before the Manila International Airport Authority and the Cebu Pacific Customer Relations Center but was referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) which said that the p(–foul word(s) removed–)port is still valid and has no defect.
To avoid further argument with the Cebu Pacific management, the DFA opened its consular office on Sunday and issued a temporary p(–foul word(s) removed–)port to the 12-year-old boy upon realizing the urgency of the trip.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, the 12-year-old boy also expressed his disappointment narrating how her mother begged Cebu Pacific ground staff to let them board the flight, but failed.
The three – Ms. Palileo, her son, and her mother – were allowed to leave for Vietnam Sunday night 10:50 p.m. by Cebu Pacific station manager Benjamin Salcedo waiving its rebooking penalties.
The Palileos are expected to be back either Thursday or Friday, depending on the result of the surgery.
