Filtered By: Topstories
News

Senate probe into PNP's P105M purchase of helicopters sought


Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson have filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the alleged misrepresentations in the multi-million purchase of light operational helicopters by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009. Senate Resolution 518 seeks to take a closer look at the PNP's acquisition of Light Police Operational Helicopters (LPOHs) from Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corp. (MAPTRA) for its elite Special Action Force (SAF) unit. "Both MAPTRA and the PNP may have entered into an anomalous contract which not only gave unwarranted benefits or advantage to a party but also one which is manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government in violation of... Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act," Lacson and Guingona said in the resolution. Lacson headed the PNP from Nov. 1999 to Jan. 2001. The senators explained that on May 8, 2009, the PNP Negotiation Committee started talks with MAPTRA for the procurement of one equipped LPOH and two standard LPOHs for P105 million, even though the PNP-SAF’s was in need of three equipped LPOHs. They said that it was then SAF head Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr. who modified the SAF's requirements from three equipped LPOHs to one equipped and two standard LPOHs. Then PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa approved the supply contract to pay MAPTRA P104.985 million for the one Robinson R44 Raven II and two Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters. Guingona and Lacson, however, said MAPTRA "intentionally misrepresented" the helicopters they were selling as brand new and the PNP accepted the same as true. They explained that flight logs indicate that the two R44 Raven I choppers sold to the PNP were already "pre-owned" as far back as March 2004. "There is an urgent need to look into this anomaly in order to prevent the PNP from entering into another contract of similar nature and to determine possible violations of RA 3019," they said. Versoza approved the contract after the PNP Negotiation Committee recommended the awarding of the contract to MAPTRA on July 9, 2009. The committee reportedly made the recommendation since MAPTRA was a "legally, technically and financially capable" supplier that has been in the business "for so many years." Lacson and Guingona, however, said that records from the Securities and Exchange Commission indicate that MAPTRA was only given its certificate of incorporation on June 10, 2009. — RSJ, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT