Philippines open about ‘combat’ helicopters

Canada should have known of military role

The Philippine government never hid its intention to use Canadian-built helicopters in combat, even going as far as displaying the first batch of those choppers armed with machine guns during an official ceremony in 2015 attended by Canada’s ambassador to that Asian country.

The Aug. 17, 2015 ceremony featuring the khaki coloured Bell 412s was attended by Neil Reeder, the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines at the time. At the event, Philippine Air Force officers referred to the “Bell combat helicopter” in interviews to local news media. A military chaplain blessed the aircraft as airmen stood at attention. A photo of the event shows a machine gun outfitted on the side of the aircraft for use by a doorgunner.

But the federal government appears to have been in the dark on the true role of the choppers, insisting the original eight helicopters and the new batch of 16 announced this week, were meant for search and rescue.

It has now launched an investigation into the role of the aircraft and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland indicated she is ready to block the sale if needed.

The controversy started when Bell helicopters announced the $234-million deal for 16 helicopters brokered by the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown corporation.

But human rights advocates expressed disbelief that Canada was selling the aircraft to the Philippines considering the country’s poor human rights record and its controversial leader President Rodrigo Duterte, who once boasted about throwing a man to his death from a helicopter.

The international criminal court revealed Thursday it had launched an initial inquiry into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Duterte.

The allegations relate to extrajudicial executions committed during the president’s war on drugs, which has killed thousands.

Global Affairs Canada initially defended the helicopter sale saying they would be used “exclusively” for disaster relief, search and rescue, and passenger transport missions.

Freeland’s office also circulated a photo of a similar helicopter painted red, blue and white.

But those claims were undercut by Philippine Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla, military chief of plans, who told journalists in Manila the aircraft “will be used for the military’s internal security operations.”

International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne cited Padilla’s comments as the reason the Liberal government launched its review.

But the use of the Bell 412s for military operations shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Canada.

The Philippine air force has designated the first batch of Bell 412s as combat utility helicopters and installed door guns on some of the aircraft.

It is not clear whether Reeder saw the door guns or mounts for the machine guns when he posed in front of the aircraft for a celebratory photo.

A Liberal government source indicated the previous Conservative government had approved the deals.

The Philippine military is keen to boost its capabilities as it fights Communist insurgents and Islamic extremists.

Last summer it used its older combat utility helicopters during intense fighting in the city of Marawi, a predominately Muslim city.

Alex Neve, secretary general for Amnesty International Canada, said Thursday that given the serious violations, included torture, committed by government forces during the battle of Marawi, as well as the ongoing war against insurgents, Canada should exercise extreme caution on such an arms deal.

He added, “When the Canadian Commercial Corporation is involved in arms deals of this sort there often seems to be a lack of rigour when it comes to human rights concerns.”

Postmedia asked the Canadian Commercial Corporation about what approvals were received to allow the contract to proceed. It declined to comment.

On Thursday, the Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the country’s military won’t use the Bell 412s to attack insurgents but instead to transport troops and supplies and evacuate those soldiers wounded in battle.

But he also warned that the Philippines would buy aircraft elsewhere if the Trudeau government cancelled the deal.