Jet for senior officials 'a necessity in times of crisis,' Palace says

MANILA, Philippines — The multimillion-dollar business jet that the government has

procured from the United States will

be used as an airborne command post,

Malacañang said Monday.

Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong earlier confirmed that the Philippine Air Force will

be acquiring two aircraft

 – an Airbus C295 and a Gulfstream G280.

The G280 "will primarily serve as

platform to carry our senior leaders and commanders

in the event of, for example,

crisis

 situation.

”

"It is

similar to an airborne command post. It has a capability better than the ordinary (jet)... It requires a short runway," Panelo said in a press briefing Monday.

Bayan Muna secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr., however, pointed out that the government is spending millions of dollars for the comfort of officials while ordinary citizens carry the burden of the transport crisis.

When you spend millions of dollars for the comfort of officials, while ordinary folks carry the daily burden of the #TransportCrisis pic

.twitter.com/8nywtIVSyV

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) October 8, 2019

The G280, which can seat eight to ten people, is worth $36.999 million.

Defending the request of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to purchase the jet, Panelo stressed that

it will be used in times of crisis.

"Kung may 'in times of crisis'

kailangan mo '

yun

kaya

nga crisis — when there is

necessity. Kung

necessity

papaano

naman

magwawaldas ka?" Panelo said.

"If it's 'in times of crisis,' you will need it, that's why it's for a crisis— when there is necessity. If it is a necessity how can it be a waste?)

Panelo insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte is very frugal and does not spend

 unless necessary.

According to the DND, Lorenzana signed the P2-billion contract for the G280 last November 

It is expected to

be delivered by August next year while

the C295 is set to

be delivered this year.

While the G280 is for Duterte and other senior government and military officials, the C295 is more suitable for maritime patrol missions as it has

longer range. — Patricia Lourdes Viray