Eleven active and retired Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel were fired and charged with graft for their role in the alleged anomalous purchase of two helicopters reportedly owned by then First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.
They are accused of helping Arroyo defraud the government of P34.63 million for the 2009 and 2010 deals.
Ordered dismissed from the service effective June 15 with accessory penalties of forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to hold public office were Chief Superintendents Luis Saligumba and Herold Ubalde; Senior Superintendents Job Nolan Antonio, Mansue Lukban and Edgar Paatan; Superintendents Roman Loreto and Ermilando Villafuerte; Chief Insp. Ma. Josefina Recometa; SPO4 Ma. Linda Padojinog; SPO1 Avensuel Dy, and
Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP) Ruben Gongona, PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Generoso Cerbo said.
Arroyo, the marketing agent of the helicopter manufacturer’s local distributor, and the officers were accused of colluding to pass off as brand-new two used Robinson R44 Raven aircraft that were sold to the police.
The police force also acquired a third Raven helicopter from the same dis-tributor and paid a total of P104.98 million for all three.
The former first gentleman had long denied any involvement in the so-called PNP choppers scam as he insisted that he did not own the second-hand helicopters.
Government investigators were called in after the Senate held a public inquiry into the deal last year, in which the local distributor’s president testified that Arroyo had once owned the helicopters and orchestrated the deal.
The distributor, Archibald Po, said Arroyo had bought five helicopters from him in 2003 and later instructed Po in 2006 to buy two of them back for a high price after using them for then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2004 election campaign.
The two helicopters were later sold to the local distributor’s marketing agent, which resold them to the PNP along with a third helicopter from the same manufacturer.
Po testified that he delivered $700,000 (about P30 million) to the former first gentleman as payment for the two helicopters.
Those penalized with six-month suspension effective June 15 were Senior Supt. Joel Crisostomo Garcia, SPO3 Jorge Gabiana, PO3 Dionisio Jimenez, NUP Emilia Aliling, NUP Edwin Chavarria and NUP Edwin Maranan.
Penalized with fines equivalent to one year’s salary deducted from payment of accumulative leave credits with accessory penalty of forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to hold public office pursuant to Ombudsman Resolution dated May 30 for serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service were Director Leocadio Santiago Jr. (retired last March 16), Director George Piano (retired last April 8) and Supt. Claudio Gaspar. Jr., (retired last Feb. 2).
PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the sanctions were imposed pursuant to a resolution passed by the Ombudsman on May 30 and duly approved on June 1.
The Ombudsman said the police officers conspired with one another in committing “numerous irregular and illegal related acts” pertaining to the negotiated procurement by the PNP of two units of helicopters.
The information signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales cited three “illegal and related acts” committed by all the accused in the chopper deal – the contract was overpriced, the Manila Aerospace Products Trading (Maptra) lacked technical and financial eligibility and its net financing contracting capacity was at negative P4 million, which were in violation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations.
Moreover, the Ombudsman said the units were not compliant with the National Police Commission specifications as regards their endurance and ventilating system, and had expired engine warranties.
According to the graft agency, the helicopters were bought by the PNP for P104,985,000 each, but each reached a net amount of P99,360,803.60 with the deduction of the 10 percent VAT and two percent e-VAT.
The negotiated procurement, however, was overpriced by at least P34,632,187.50, which was paid by the PNP to Maptra for the two hand-me-down units.
The Ombudsman said the deal has caused undue injury to the PNP and the government, and resulted in grave damage to the institution since it was deprived of its new helicopters with engine warranties and longer serviceability.
Arroyo and the other defendants, who are all out on bail, could be jailed for up to 10 years if found guilty by the anti-graft court.
The charges were filed by a special anti-graft prosecutor earlier this month.
The Ombudsman earlier dismissed charges of graft and corruption against former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, former DILG Assistant Secretary Oscar Valenzuela, former National Police Commission director Conrado Sumanga Jr., former PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. and former Napolcom commissioner Miguel Coronel over the helicopter deal.
There was not enough evidence to show their involvement in the alleged anomalous chopper deals, the anti-graft office said.
                   PNA and AFP