GMA logs 420 hours of flying time

Since she took over the Palace on Jan. 20 last year, President Arroyo has logged 420 hours of flying time as she crisscrossed the entire country, even visiting remote areas which "many could only dream of," the former chief of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) said.

But Brig Gen. Glenn Rabonza was not complaining.

"Keeping up with a President on the move proved to be very challenging," he said Friday when he turned over the PSG command to Army Col. Hermo—genes Esperon Jr.

"The challenge of moving security personnel, equipment and even bomb-sniffing dogs proved very difficult, indeed," added Rabonza, who took over the PSG following "EDSA 2" which ousted former President Joseph Estrada.

Rabonza confessed though that the PSG had "consumed its programmed flying time" by October last year and even had to help the Air Force secure a supplemental budget for aviation fuel from the President’s office.

Mrs. Arroyo travels around the country using borrowed private planes with fuel provided by the PSG, said Brig. Gen. Cicero Castellano, chief of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing.

The presidential aircraft, a Fokker 27, is still undergoing protective maintenance abroad, he said.

Hearing Rabonza, Esperon quipped, "We’ll have to work harder with stretched resources." — Marichu Villanueva