President Duterte vows to buy 2 helicopters for Coast Guard

From Update.Ph (Oct 16): President Duterte vows to buy 2 helicopters for Coast Guard

“I heard President Duterte say ‘You will get it.’ President Duterte assured the Commandant that we would get the two helicopters that were already included in the budget but was not signed before the term of former President Simeon Benigno Aquino III ended on June 30,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Armand Balilo said as quoted in GMA News Online report October 15.

The Coast Guard spokesperson said he overheard President Rodrigo Duterte promise the two new helicopters while having a conversation with Coast Guard commandant Rear Admiral William Melad. The helicopters will be in addition to already ordered vessels and equipment.

The Coast Guard commandant mentioned to the President that two helicopters will boost Coast Guard’s rescue and search operations.

“These could be utilized in the conduct of air drop of relief goods, dropping of rescue swimmers, immediate medical evacuation of a ship’s crewmember out at sea, and air evacuation of people trapped on roofs and on trees during calamities,” Balilo said.

The conversation between the President and Coast Guard commandant took place during the tour of BRP Tubbataha after its commissioning October 12.

BRP Tubbataha is the first of ten Japan-made Parola-class 44-meter patrol vessels. The Philippine government has ordered 10 Parola-class patrol vessels from Japan through the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase I.

The MSCIP Phase I for PCG, providing 10 44-meter MRRVs, was awarded to Japan Marine United (JMU) last year. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed Japanese ODA loan agreement with Philippine government to provide funding for the said project in December 2013.

Meanwhile, President Duterte has approved the acquisition of two (2) heavy weather, high endurance 94-meter MRRVs under the MSCIP Phase II.

http://www.update.ph/2016/10/president-duterte-vows-to-buy-2-helicopters-for-coast-guard/10398