'Arroyo family members used helicopters bought by PNP'

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Arroyo family used at least two of the controversial helicopters purchased by the Philippine National Police in 2009, a police pilot testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee yesterday.

Superintendent Claudio Gaspar said Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and his father, former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo were among his frequent passengers.

The Senate started its inquiry yesterday on the alleged anomalous procurement of the three helicopters, which were passed off as brand new to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, however, said the Arroyos will not be invited in the next hearing as their involvement in the alleged anomalous sale of the PNP helicopters remains “circumstantial” at the moment. 

Gaspar said he coordinated with the Presidential Security Group (PSG) whenever he received calls from the Office of the President to service any of Malacañang’s previous occupants. He also confirmed the claim of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the two Raven 44 had landed at Area 3 of Malacañang, which is limited for use of members of the First Family, several times. 

A separate information revealed during the hearing said members of the Arroyo family used the choppers a number of times from 2007 to 2009. Mikey used the choppers 71 times, while his wife, Angela, flew in them about nine times. The former first gentleman used it nine times, while his daughter Luli, used it once. Rep. Dato Arroyo used one of the questioned helicopters only once. 

Senators took turns during the hearing in lashing at police officials for the alleged questionable purchase of the three helicopters.

Former PNP chief Jesus Verzosa and other key police officials claimed they did not know two of the three helicopters were five years old and previously owned.

Lacson said the deal was a “double whammy” for the PNP not only because the choppers were presented as brand new but also because they were overpriced.

He asked the PNP officials why it accepted the two helicopters when its supplier --Manila Aerospace Trading Corp. (MAPTRA) --had written in its proposal that the choppers were “service center condition” and not brand new.

 “It’s obvious that the owners benefited from the sale,” Lacson said. 

Chief Superintendent Herold Ubalde claimed that they were deceived by MAPTRA when it sold them pre-owned light police operational helicopters (LPOH) as brand new. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe