Press Release
April 30, 2009

Press Release of Senator Rodolfo G Biazon
Reliability, Safety, Use of AFP Aircraft To Be Scrutinized By Senate

Senator Rodolfo G. Biazon today said that the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security which he chairs will review and assess the reliability, safety and policies regarding the use of the aircrafts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Biazon said that the Bell helicopter that recently crashed in the mountains of Ifugao killing 8 Malacañang and Air Force Officials is puzzling when taking into consideration that all AFP pilots are familiar with the following policies of the AFP:

1. Flights of aircrafts must be in tandem whenever the flight is long and requires flying over mountainous and insurgent infested areas; and

2. There are restrictions in the time of flights of its aircrafts especially when these would involve flying over mountainous areas where cloud cover is known to change suddenly.

"While the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has administrative supervision and control of the 250th Presidential Wing, operational control of said wing is under the Presidential Security Group (PSG), the Wing Commander, or the Presidential Management Staff," Biazon stressed.

"The safety of the President and other high officials of government is of paramount concern to the Presidential Wing in order to ensure the political stability of the country. The Presidential Wing should therefore be provided with reliable aircraft equipped with reliable communications and avionics, well-trained pilots and clear policies on the utilization of its aircrafts, " Biazon concluded.

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