“I fear for my life but they can’t stop me from exposing
them.”
“Joey” The Manila Times source who uncovered the Defense
department’s allegedly anomalous acquisition of 21 helicopter gunships, made
the statement after unidentified men visited his home province early this week
and allegedly asked for his whereabouts.
“There were men who went to our house in the province last
Tuesday, They spoke to my mother and my siblings, as well as my other relatives
and they wanted to know my location,” he told The Times on Thursday, the day
the nation marked the valor and heroism of Filipino soldiers during the Second
World War.
“If they are harassing me, then I’ll fight back harder this
time because I’m on the side of the truth. I am doing this for the country,”
Joey said.
Joey is the pseudonym of The Manila Times informant who claimed
he has personal knowledge of backroom transactions between defense and military
officials and representatives of Rice Aircraft Services Inc. (RASI) and its
partner, Eagle Copters Ltd., which bagged the contract to supply 21 refurbished
UH-1 combat utility helicopters to the Philippine military.
The contract was canceled by the Department of National
Defense (DND) after The Times exposed the allegedly anomalous transaction. Joey
backed with documents his narration on how the deal was cut.
“That means the officials of the [DND] who were affected by
my expose already know my real identity,” he said.
Lawmakers have filed resolutions asking the Senate and the
House of Representatives to look into the alleged anomaly.
Joey, who was personally interviewed by Sen. Joseph Victor
Ejercito before he filed his own resolution, had repeatedly indicated his
willingness to unmask himself and put his expose on record once the
congressional inquiry rolls out.
Quoting his family and relatives, Joey said five men on
board a black Toyota Corolla sedan (UKU 243) went to their home last Tuesday.
The men allegedly told them that they were Joey’s colleagues at work.
The driver of the car, who like his companions had a
soldier-like bearing, presented an identification card bearing the name of one
Marco Banal Abanilla.
“According to my relatives, the driver is a soldier but they
introduced themselves as my co-workers in the office. They pretended that they
were looking for me because I was due for promotion.,” The Manila Times
informant said.
“I’m saddened that while I’m fighting for my country, I’m
being treated like an enemy of the state but the American who tried to pull a
fast one in cahoots with his DND contacts moves around freely,” Joey added.
“I will expose all these and all of them.”
Meanwhile, Ejercitoalso on Thursday said his staff have been
busy preparing for the expected opening of a Senate blue ribbon inquiry into
the helicopter deal within this month.
The author of Resolution 1238, which calls on the blue
ribbon panel to investigate the alleged scam, added that he wanted to look
deeply into the procurement process and specifically find out why the delivery
of the eight of 21 helicopters was accepted despite technical glitches found by
Air Force inspectors.
“We will zero in on the procurement process, and find out if
indeed officials are liable of accepting these choppers which from the start
have allegedly failed to meet the technical specifications based on the Terms
of Reference,” Ejercito told The Times.
But nearly a month after Ejercito filed the proposed resolution,
the blue ribbon committee headed by Sen. Teofista Guingona 3rd is yet to
calendar holding of the inquiry. He filed the measure on March 16 and it was
referred to the blue ribbon committee on March 18.
As of Thursday, April 9, public hearings on the case had not been scheduled.
The Manila Times source suspects that Guingona, who is
allied with the Aquino administration, is deliberately sitting on the case.
“We can’t help but compare it with the Binay case. Sen.
[Antonio] Trillanes [4th] filed the Senate resolution calling for an
investigation of the Makati
City Hall
Binay is Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also being
investigated by the Senate for alleged graft.
The Times tried calling Guingona and his aides on Thursday
but they were not picking up calls.
http://www.manilatimes.net/soldiers-hunt-huey-deal-snitch/174630/
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