Senators grill PNP officials over chopper purchase

Senators on Thursday grilled officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) over their approval of the multi-million-peso purchase of "pre-owned" light operational helicopters. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Teofisto Guingona III, and Franklin Drilon asked members of the PNP negotiation and bids and awards committees (BAC) why they allowed the Manila Aerospace Trading Corporation (MAPTRA) to sell them two pre-owned Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters despite a requirement for brand-new ones. "That ought to have been known by the BAC," Enrile said during Thursday's Senate blue ribbon committee hearing. "Did you exercise due diligence (in the purchase)," added Lacson. According to the resolution filed by Lacson and Guingona, the PNP had modified the Special Action Forces' requirements from three brand-new equipped Light Police Operational Helicopters (LPOHs) to one equipped and two standard LPOHs. Then PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa then approved the contract to pay MAPTRA P104.985 million for the one Robinson R44 Raven II and two Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters. However, Guingona and Lacson said 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. Lacson had also earlier claimed that the helicopters were previously owned by the family of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Arroyos have since denied the allegation. On Thursday, Guingona and Lacson asked the PNP officials whether they were compelled to approve the contract by a higher official. But Police Dir. Luizo C. Ticman, who was a member of the PNP's BAC, maintained that nobody ordered him to do anything or approve any contract. "Wala pong namwersa sa amin," he said. He likewise said that their approval of the contract had "legal basis." But when asked whether he looked into the initial proposal of the MAPTRA which did not specifically indicate that they were selling "brand new" and only as having "service-center condition," he said he did not. The Senate hearing was ongoing as of posting time. — LBG, GMA News