Duterte ‘has last say’ on helicopter deal

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Sunday President Duterte has the final say on whether to cancel the 111.65-billion acquisition of 16 Canadian Bell 412 helicopters.

Lorenzana made the remark after the President mentioned about abort- ing the deal because of the controversy shrouding it.

The defense chief said the country can still buy helicopters from other countries like Russia and China.

“We will cancel it if that is the final decision (of the President),” Lorenzana said in a statement sent through text.

The helicopters can be purchased from Russia, China, Korea, or Turkey, he said.

There have been concerns that the helicopters could be used for combat operations, with Canada reminding the Philippine government that the aircraft was meant for humanitarian missions.

Lorenzana has been fending off concerns the military will use the helicopters as attack or close support aircraft, reiterating that the aircraft will be for transporting personnel and supplies, ferrying wounded and injured soldiers, and conducting disaster response operations. “While they may be used in support of Internal Security Operations or ISO, their role is limited to those that I mentioned,” he said.

Lorenzana clarified that the Bell 412’s designation as a Combat Utility Helicopter connotes that it is a utility helicopter.

“Should the Canadian Government choose to discontinue their sale of the aircraft to us, then we will procure them from another source,” Lorenzana said.

Major General Restituto Padilla, the AFP’s deputy chief of staff for plans (J5), said the deal is a very transparent one.

“Its intended use as Combat Utility Helicopter is for the transport of troops especially combat casualties and for troop sustainment. It is not an offensive platform and not armed as such. We have dedicated attack helicopters as offensive platforms for such operations,” Padilla said in a statement.