Solon warns of P3.2-B ‘attack chopper’ scam
By Charlie V. Manalo
09/18/2010
A party-list lawmaker has expressed apprehension that last week’s bidding of seven military night-capable attack helicopters worth P3.2 billion may have been rigged.
At yesterday’s budget hearing of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), military officials revealed that only one bidder, WSK-PZL Swidnik S.A of Poland, participated and eventually bagged the contract worth P3,180,169,000.
The bidding was held last Sept. 9 at the AFP headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The helicopter purchase is a project under the AFP Capability Upgrade Program funded by the annual P5-billion AFP Modernization Fund.
Upon questioning by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, military officials admitted that the P3.2-billion budget was originally for 14 attack helicopters.
In December 2009, then Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales announced that the acquisition was down to eight
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100918hed4.html
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