Palace: Jet purchase to ensure President's safety

Malacañang justified its planned purchase of a used jet, saying future Philippine Presidents should be “thankful" to the Arroyo administration “for ensuring a safe, reliable, and efficient air transport." The planned purchase is also expected to spare the future President from undergoing “the same fate [of] President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who risks her life and limb by using chartered civilian aircraft in performing her duties," the Office of the President said in a statement. The statement was released after GMANews.TV reported and quoted a newspaper advertisement indicating that the Office of the President (OP) was looking to buy a used jet worth P1.2 billion. Placed in the Philippine Star, the ad came out on Thursday, just as the President and her entourage remain under fire for having expensive dinners in New York City and Washington, DC. The ad invited suppliers to bid for a used executive jet since one of two presidential aircraft – the 50-year old F-27 – is undergoing a maintenance check, the Office of the President said in a statement. With only one aircraft available – a 29-year-old F-28 – the OP is still forced to charter civilian aircraft to address airlift requirements of the Philippines’ chief executive. Besides being considered very costly, renting aircraft for presidential transport also poses “high security risks." In turn, these risks may compromise “the life and limb of the President, members of her official and immediate family, the PAW [Presidential Airlift Wing] pilots, and the Presidential Security Guards accompanying her," the statement said. “The PAW is not fully cognizant of the maintenance and operational procedures and practices being followed by the operators of the chartered civilian aircraft," the statement added. Using a civilian aircraft also renders PAW pilots as mere co-pilots. "[And] in the past, there had been lapses on the part of civilian pilots." The Palace assured that the new aircraft would be able to provide better security for the President and the people going along her, since the jet is equipped with an avionics system able to detect weather, terrain, and traffic factors among others. "It is but fitting and proper that whosoever is the sitting President should be afforded proper amenities befitting his/her position as Head of the State," the Palace said. The jet will benefit “will benefit more the next President and the Presidents after him/her" since Mrs. Arroyo is expected to leave her post in mid-2009 anyway. The aircraft must be “factory new, twin-engine (turbo-fan engines), pressurized, fitted with auxiliary power unit, and with VIP cabin configuration," said an advertisement. “The type of aircraft to be offered should have been used as a VIP/Executive aircraft by the country of origin and by at least two countries," the ad continued. The ad was signed by a certain attorney Lynn Danao-Moreno, an assistant executive secretary and chairperson of the bids and awards committee of the Office of the President. - GMANews.TV