National Police getting 4 to 5 new helicopters in 2017

From Update.Ph (Jan 5): National Police getting 4 to 5 new helicopters in 2017

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be getting 4 to 5 new helicopters this year after the Senate included PhP1 billion for the purchase of said helicopters. “We will be able to purchase four or five this time,” Senator JV Ejercito told CNN Philippines’ The Source. “So at least now the Philippine National Police will have better equipment.”

Senator Ejercito said he was not able to participate in 2017 budget deliberations so he asked Minority Leader Senator Ralph Recto to push for the choppers in his absence, CNN Philippines reports. “I was only requesting for 300 million to purchase two choppers immediately,” said Ejercito. “Because of [Senator Recto’s] prowess he was able to [make it] 1 billion.”

In September last year, Ejercito said he laments “the fact that the Philippine National Police has no eye in the sky, especially amid the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.”

He noted that having enough air assets in police operations “is very vital”.

He said will work for the said acquisition in the 2017 national budget. “I will really push for it in their 2017 budget,” he said.

“If we can acquire one or two helicopters for the PNP, that would be very helpful in the war against illegal drugs and in the fight against criminality,” he explained.

http://www.update.ph/2017/01/national-police-getting-4-to-5-new-helicopters-in-2017/12800