Reacting to a Facebook post of a Cebu Pacific Airlines pilot alleging that Vice President Leni Robredo requested priority landing of the plane she was in which delayed and diverted other flights last month, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said there are three government officials who enjoy “priority landing and takeoff” in the country.
Sotto’s statement is false.
STATEMENT
In a tweet, Sotto said:
“Unfortunately, that pilot does not know that there are 3 persons in gov[ernment]t that are given landing and takeoff priority in all PH airports as CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) knows.”
Source: Tito Sotto Official Twitter Account, Unfortunately, that pilot… (Archived), May 16, 2022
Sotto was referring to the flight priority that the CAAP grants to the president, vice president, and Senate president.
FACT
Sotto is wrong in claiming that only three government officials enjoy priority landing and takeoff for their flights. This courtesy is also extended to the speaker of the House of Representatives, dignitaries, and other “identified” government officials, such as department secretaries, through a “special handling” of their flights. CAAP’s Media Affairs Officer Eric Apolonio told VERA Files Fact Check, however, that this privilege usually applies only to flights involving chartered private aircraft.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.
