By FREDDIE G. LAZARO

LAOAG CITY – Cebu Pacific will carry out “rescue” flight from Laoag to Manila starting Tuesday in place of the Philippine Air Lines which suspended all its flights here starting last Monday.

This was announced by Gov. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who took steps to prevent tourists and balkbayan visitors attending the Laoag City fiesta and the centennial anniversary of the Ilocos Norte High School from being stranded here.

Marcos talked with Cebu Pacific after learning that a negotiation with Philippine Airlines to reconsider its decision to suspend all flights to this city was denied.

Lito R. Gorospe, media consultant to the governor, said that aside from undertaking rescue flights, Cebu Pacific is being asked by the governor to make regular runs to Laoag in place of PAL.

It was learned that PAL suspended all Laoag flights starting February 13 because of an alleged commotion involving former Laoag City Mayor Roger Fariñas and one of the airline’s ground personnel.

Cebu Pacific is the second largest airline in the country, with 15 destinations and a 31 percent market share on the routes that it flies.