Gnadenburg,
What if that ERA was a full 40 minutes closer and the company were asking you to go there?
Personally, it wouldn't have got to that stage for me and I'd have just motored on in to HKG with a courtesy ACARS to ENG. Though looking at some of the legacy responses above, I reckon I could have gone to Clark and called the DOM from Fields Avenue.
But that's not a reasonable nor acceptable substitution under a Just Culture. I'm not a brand new Capt, who's just come out of a TRG program, that even I recall over does it on needless communication, to support decision making from interfering and sometimes unhelpful parties ( IOC/DOM ) - versus autonomous decision making.
Now, since you all bleat about a Just Culture, if you don't like the decision made, the traditional JC model suggests a substitution test with pilots of similar experience ie: brand new Capt ex-cadet background. If the decision is inconsistent, this reflects on the system- insufficient or inappropriate command training, experience levels and background and selection process.
Try and refrain from putting a colleague to the sword.