Mike Arroyo asked to donate remaining choppers to AFP, PNP

At least two senators on Thursday asked former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to donate the two remaining helicopters with Lion Air to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police (PNP) since he has repeatedly denied being their owner. Lion Air President Archibald Legaspi Po had said that Mr. Arroyo bought five Robinson R44 Raven 1 helicopters in 2004, one of which was rendered unusable, two were sold to the PNP as brand new in 2009; and two were left with Lion Air. During Thursday’s hearing by the blue ribbon committee on the chopper controversy, Sen. Franklin Drilon said the “best thing" for Mr. Arroyo to do is to allow Po to donate the two remaining choppers. “If he claims that he is not the owner of the helicopters, [we are asking him] to issue an undertaking that he will hold Mr. Po free and harmless from any action if Mr. Po would donate these helicopters... to any agency of government," he said. "Kung di talagang di ikaw ang may-ari, sabihin mo sa ating mga kababayan mo dito sa Senate blue ribbon na willing ka bigyan authority si Mr. Po na i-donate ang dalawang natitirang helicopters sa PNP o AFP," said Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. Po, for his part, said he has no problem with it as long as the process would be legal. Mr. Arroyo has since denied owning the choppers, which were bought under Lion Air’s name. In a text message to GMA News Online on Thursday, Mr. Arroyo’s legal counsel, Inocencio Ferrer, insisted that the choppers do not belong to the former First Gentleman and thus it is impossible for him to donate them. “Mr. Arroyo cannot donate something he does not own," Ferrer said. Robinson helicopter distributor Renato Sia, however, said that they have credit memos and wire transfer certificates that would prove that Mr. Arroyo’s family firm LTA Incorporated paid for the deposit of five choppers. Lion Air’s marketing officer Edith Solano-Juguan likewise said that for seven years, she received money from LTA to pay for the maintenance of the helicopters. - KBK, GMA News