Verzosa won't be probed on helicopter controversy

MANILA, Philippines -  Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa was not included in the list of 27 police personnel to be investigated in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of three supposedly brand new helicopters worth P104.9 million, which turned out to be secondhand units.

The fact-finding team from the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) reported that Verzosa approved the negotiated bill after three failed biddings for light operational helicopters.

Although his name was not in the list, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said Verzosa is not yet off the hook.

“In the end, he was the one who signed the check, he could defend himself by presumption of regularity but it’s up to the authorities,” he said.

PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo reported that the DIDM only named retired Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, as chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee; Director Luizo Ticman, head of the Negotiation Committee; and member-directors Ronald Roderos and Romeo Hilomen. All of them have retired from the service.

Soriano denied any knowledge of the anomaly but vowed to cooperate with any investigation.

The other police officials to be held liable include chief superintendents George Piano, Herold Ubaldo, Leocadio Santiago, and Luis Saligumba; senior superintendents Job Nolan Antonio, Edgar Pataan, Crisostomo Garcia, and Mansue Lukban; superintendents Claudio Gaspar Jr. and Larry Balmaceda, and Chief Inspector Josefina Recometa.

The other police officers involved in the procurement were Senior Police Officers 3 Jorge Gabiana and Ma. Linda Padojinog, PO3 Dionisio Jimenez, PO3 Avensuel Dy and civilian officers Ruben Gongona, Erwin Chavarria, Emilia Aliling, and Erwin Paul Maraan.

Ticman has maintained that proper procedure was observed in the negotiation process.

The report also showed that the PNP’s choppers were used extensively by members of the family of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and their friends, including some lawmakers, before they were sold as brand new aircraft to the police in July 2009.

The flight records of the two Robinson R44 Raven 1 helicopters (RP-4250 and RP-4375) indicated that both choppers were used by Mrs. Arroyo, her husband Mike Arroyo, their children former Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo and his family, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo and daughter Luli Arroyo.

The DILG said most of the time, Mikey, his wife Angela Montenegro and their two children alternately used the two choppers, ferrying them from Lubao in Pampanga to the A3 Station inside the Presidential Security Group grounds in Malacañang Palace, a certain Burgundy station, in Calatagan and Lipa City in Batangas, among others.

The helicopter with identification number RP-4357 logged 536.3 hours from Jan. 9, 2008 to Aug. 23, 2009 while RP-4250 logged 498.9 hours from Oct. 5, 2007 to July 29, 2009, both virtually under the control and use of the former first gentleman and his son Mikey.

The other one-time or frequent riders of the two choppers, based on their flight records, were Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronaldo Singson, Northern Samar Rep. Wilmar Lucero, and Romblon Rep. Eleandro Madrona.

The others were Sen. Francisco Pangilinan and party, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and party, Gov. Vic Magsaysay of Zambales, Ambassador to New Guinea Bienvenido Tejano and party, James Gaisano of the Gaisano Malls, events organizer Talents Manila, former Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Ed Manda, MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi, actress Kristine Hermosa and ABS-CBN staff, a certain Rey Nadal and Bingbong, among others.

Based on documents, the two choppers were previously owned by Asian Spirit, Inc. in 2004, later leased to the Lionair Corp. but mysteriously sold by the Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corp. (MAPTRA) to the PNP as brand new units in July 2009.

The two choppers were delivered, after inspection by a PNP inspection panel, on Feb. 12, 2010.

MAPTRA, reportedly owned by Hilarion de Vera, used to be a single proprietorship firm but was incorporated at the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 15, 2009.

The firm bagged the negotiated deal without submitting documents on how it was able to acquire ownership of the two choppers in question, on July 9, 2009 or a month after it was incorporated.

De Vera, who is facing criminal and civil liability for fraudulent delivery of the secondhand choppers contrary to what was required in the contract, was reportedly in hiding after police efforts to locate him in his given address proved negative.

MAPTRA sold to the PNP one brand new and two secondhand choppers worth P104.9 million intended for use by the PNP Special Action Force.

It was deemed grossly disadvantageous to the government and is now subject of a Senate investigation initiated by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former PNP chief.