Puno denies Napolcom tailor-fitted chopper specs for Mike Arroyo

Former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Monday denied that the National Police Commission (Napolcom) tailor-fitted the helicopter requirements of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) for the choppers supposedly owned by First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo. The PNP in May 2009 approved the supply contract for one equipped Light Police Operational Helicopter (LPOH) and two standard LPOHs even though the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) unit needed three equipped LPOHs. The PNP later on purchased for P104.985 million one Robinson R44 Raven II and two Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters - which were allegedly owned by Arroyo. However, Senator Panfilo Lacson asked why the Napolcom allowed the specifications to be modified so that only the first gentleman's alleged choppers would be qualified under the new requirements. "The specifications are too detailed, (they seem to be) tailor-fitted for Mike Arroyo's choppers," he said during Monday's Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the PNP choppers mess. Puno, who headed the Napolcom as the then Interior secretary, said that from what he knew, the modifications were made so that more suppliers would be qualified to supply the choppers. "I was not aware that I was misled...unfortunately this only became known to everybody when you exposed this," he said during the same hearing. "Had Napolcom known at that time, we had put a stop to this. We would have been the first ones to raise hell about (it)," he added. The Senate hearing was ongoing as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News