Private firm deceived PNP in chopper purchase, exec says

An official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday claimed that they were deceived by the Manila Aerospace Trading Corporation (MAPTRA) when it sold them pre-owned light police operational helicopters (LPOH) as brand new. "It would appear that way (that we were deceived)... there seems to be no meeting of the minds here," Chief Supt. Herold Ubalde said during Thursday's Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the alleged misrepresentations in the multi-million purchase of LPOHs to the PNP in 2009. Ubalde, a member of the PNP negotiation committee, issued the statement after the PNP officials present during the inquiry could not explain how they could have allowed MAPTRA to sell them two pre-owned R44 Raven I choppers as brand new. Earlier in the day, MAPTRA representatives asked to be excused from Thursday's hearing with the commitment that they will appear during the next hearing. However, MAPTRA's lawyer Luis Rivera, who was present during the hearing, denied Ubalde's allegation. "My client has no capacity to deceive the PNP of the Philippines," he said. Senator Sergio Osmena III likewise asked Ubalde why it took them years to determine that they were supposedly deceived. Earlier in the hearing, Ubalde had already admitted that they failed to exercise "due diligence" when they purchased pre-owned helicopters as brand new. "Parang lumalabas walang ganun po (It would appear that way)," he said. It was likewise revealed that they only one member of the PNP inspection panel inspected the choppers purchased by the PNP. The Senate hearing was going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News