MANILA, Philippines - Senators will summon former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to appear in the next Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous Philippine National Police (PNP) purchase of pre-owned choppers in 2009.
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Teofisto Guingona III said Arroyo must explain his involvement in the helicopter deal after Lion Air President Archibald Po identified him as the owner of the 2 second-hand helicopters that were sold as brand new to the PNP.
Aside from Arroyo, the Senate will also summon Arroyo's alleged accountant Rowena del Rosario.
In his Senate testimony, Po said he sold 5 Robinson R44 Raven 1 helicopters to Arroyo for $312,450 each in 2004.
Arroyo later told Po that he wanted to sell the helicopters for $350,000 each.
“I commented that the price was on the high side of pre-owned helicopters, but he said that was the price he was willing to sell the helicopters," Po said in his affidavit.
Po said 2 of the choppers were sold to the PNP through Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corp. He said he personally delivered the payment of $700,000 to Arroyo on April 2010.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has ordered Po to submit a supplemental affidavit that would further explain the specific circumstances of his transactions with Mr. Arroyo, including the so-called “Statement of Account” for Mr. Arroyo that Lion Air kept in its records.
Lionair Inc is the exclusive distributor of Robinson Helicopter Corporation while MAPTRA is the authorized marketing arm of Lionair and also an accredited supplier of the PNP.
When MAPTRA joined the bidding for three units of Light Operational Helicopters, De Vera said Po informed him that the deal was already “negotiated.”
And when he requested for the price quotation for one fully brand new Raven II and two brand new Raven I standards, De Vera said Lionair gave him a proposal to sell three pre-owned units of Robinson R44 Raven I helicopters.
So on March 25, 2008, De Vera said he went to the office of Po to inquire why Lionair gave him a proposal for pre-owned helicopters.
“I have instructions from FG that those are what you’re going to sell to the PNP. FG told me that he wants the sale of his three helicopters,” said De Vera in Filipino, qouting Po.
De Vera said he requested to revise the proposal from three pre-owned units to one or either two brand new helicopters and only one pre-owned unit.
Arroyo, according to Po, did not approve it.
De Vera said the next proposal that he received from Lionair contained only one brand new unit and two pre-owned helicopters.
“FG said there should only be one brand new. If you don’t want to follow, you can’t sell anything to PNP because I can’t help you. You can’t get anywhere. That’s what FG wants,” De Vera said, again quoting Po.
On June 15, 2009, De Vera said MAPTRA submitted a proposal to sell one brand new R44 Police Helicopter and two pre-owned Standard Helicopters.
And on July 23, 2009, De Vera said they received a call from the bids and awards committee of the PNP, asking them to go to Camp Crame in Quezon City to sign the delivery contract for three brand new units.
When he told Po that he signed the contract for the delivery of brand new units, De Vera said Po told him, “I told you not to worry because anything that you deliver, nobody will ask because there is an order from FG on what to do.”
“And I know that you will profit from the sale of the two pre-owned Raven I that’s why you should give me 50 percent of your net forrr my extra effort in the transaction,” Po allegedly added.
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