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MJ to sue US airline for $5m
By Michael Caber
FORMER congressman Mark Jimenez is set to lead the filing of a $5 million dollar class suit before the Makati regional trial court against Northwest Airline for allegedly discriminating against them when they were in transit at an airport in Japan.
Jimenez, in an interview, claimed that the management of Northwest Airlines neglected him and other Filipino passengers at Nagoya airport when the airline failed to provide them rooms when they were stranded there.
Jimenez was on his way back to the country after he was released on Dec. 17 from the Correctional Institute in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
The irate Jimenez, Mario Crespo in real life and a former congressman of the sixth district of Manila, told reporters that the Northwest Airlines allegedly discriminated them because the airline provided rooms for its Japanese passengers and other foreign nationals.
There were around 160 Filipino passengers onboard the airline, comprising the 80 percent of its total load while 18 percent Japanese and the other 2 percent are of different nationalities.
Jimenez tried to ask the NWA staff to provide them rooms where they can spend the night since the flight will be on the following day but NWA failed to do so.
Jimenez provided rooms in four hotels for the Filipinos while waiting for their departure, they stayed in Nagoya, Japan from 10 p.m. of Dec. 17 to 12 noon of Dec. 18 (Manila time).
Jimenez was released from the Pennsylvania prison after serving the 27-month sentence meted on him by the Southern District Court of Maimi for election conspiracy and tax evasion charges. The Miami court also ordered him to pay US$1.2 million in fines.
Jimenez opted for voluntary extradition on December 2002 and was convicted by US court last Nov. 14, 2003.