Mike Arroyo charged with plunder over choppers deal

(Updated 5:25 p.m.) The Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has filed a plunder complaint against former First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo and 16 others for the PNP's purchase of two helicopters in 2009. The complaint, filed with the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, said the PNP's procurement of two Robinson R44 Raven 1 helicopters from the Manila Aerospace Trading Corporation (MAPTRA) in 2009 was anomalous. The choppers were supplied to MAPTRA by Lionair Inc., which was supposedly acting on Mr. Arroyo's orders. Sought for comment, Mr. Arroyo's lawyer, Inocencio Ferrer Jr. said: "I have not yet read the complaint. Let me get a copy first." Also named on the charge sheet were Lionair president Archibald Po, Lionair general manager Renato Sia, MAPTRA president Hilario de Vera, former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, ex-PNP chief Jesus Verzosa, former PNP deputy chief for operations Jefferson Soriano, former PNP comptroller Romeo Hilomen, former PNP logistics director Luizo Ticman, and former research division head Ronald Roderos. The following active PNP officials were also named as respondents: Director Leocadio Santiago Jr., Director George Piano, Chief Superintendent Herold Ubalde, Chief Superintendent Ermilando Villafuerte, Superintendent Roman Loreto, Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran, and Conrado Sumanga Jr. On the other hand, those who were charged for predicate crimes of violations of Articles 171 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code, The Government Procurement Act and The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were Chief Superintendent Luis Saligumba, Senior Superintendent Job Nolan Antonio, Senior Superintendent Edgar Pataan, and PNP inspection team members Senior Superintendent Crisostomo Garcia, Senior Superintendent Claudo Gaspar, Chief Inspector Maria Josefina Vidal, retired Superintendent Larry Balamaceda, and procurement head division head Superintendent Henry Duque. "The outcome of our investigation is they took part in the conspiracy to defraud the PNP and the national government by passing off as brand new second hand helicopters," CIDG chief Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said at a press briefing on Friday at Camp Crame. Pagdilao said they did not inform the active officers involved that they were going to be charged with plunder. He likewise said that the it is up to PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo and the Ombudsman whether they will be relieved or suspended. Conspiracy? In a separate statement, Pagdilao said their investigation showed that there was a clear conspiracy to commit plunder so that Mike Arroyo can dispose of two of his five helicopters. "We believe that we have a good case against former First Gentleman. Most of the evidence were unearthed during the Senate hearing," he then said during the press briefing. The CIDG chief added that Po and De Vera, through their companies Lionair and MAPTRA, clearly "hatched the plan" to pass the old helicopters as brand new to the PNP. 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 one Robinson R44 Raven II and two Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters from MAPTRA for P104.985 million, which is the price for brand new choppers. "The specification issued by the PNP then was tailored-fit to qualify no other helicopter except the Raven 1 of MAPTRA. They were sold at a price too expensive even for a brand new Raven 1 helicopter, which only costs P15-million," said Pagdilao. He likewise said the CIDG found out that the two Raven I helicopters were not brand new as the procurement documents required. He added that it was "disturbing" that almost all the respondents who signed the documents attested that the choppers were new. "The procuring entity, in what appears to be blind submission to powers that be, ignored and disregarded the existence of flight log and engine logbook, which indicated that each of the two Raven 1 have registered an average of 500 hours of flight—a clear manifestation that these helicopters are used or reconditioned and not brand new as what they were made to appear," he said. Pagdilao also said there was a "clear and unmistakable deceit" in the deliveries of the two choppers because they bore different serial numbers and appeared "far older and dilapidated" than the helicopters the supplier committed under the supply agreement. "Different units were delivered instead of what appeared in the agreement. This alone is enough for criminal indictment for unmistakable breach of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 against the respondents for causing undue injury to the government," he said. Senate probe During previous Senate hearings, several witnesses - including Po - have testified that Mike Arroyo was the real owner of two of the three choppers bought by the PNP as brand new in 2009. Mr. Arroyo has repeatedly denied the allegation. His brother, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy" Arroyo, likewise defended him, saying he had evidence - a supposed lease agreement between their firm LTA and Lionair - that would clear his brother's name. But several witnesses - including Sia - have testified against the veracity of the document. The two Arroyos never showed up for any hearing. Pagdilao also said that they have yet to establish whether Iggy Arroyo participated in a cover-up. But Puno - who headed the National Police Commission (Napolcom) as Interior secretary - had denied that they tailor-fitted the specifications for Mike Arroyo's choppers. Ubalde had also earlier claimed that MAPTRA deceived them when it sold them pre-owned choppers. Piano and Ticman likewise said hat MAPTRA should be held accountable for the mess. — RSJ, GMA News