BY Victor Reyes and RAYMOND AFRICA
INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday said there was nothing wrong for PNP chief Dionaro Carlos to use a PNP helicopter in the absence of a commercial plane that would bring him back to Manila from Balesin island last Monday.
“I don’t think there is a violation there. He has to be in a particular area so that’s not an issue,” said Año. “He is still the Chief PNP and its rightful for him to use the PNP chopper to be able to attend a forthcoming official duty when there are no other available means.”
The H125 Airbus chopper with tail number RP 9710 sent to pick up Carlos crashed Monday morning in Barangay Pandan in Real, Quezon, leading to the death of Pat. Allen Noel Ona and injury to Lt. Cols. Dexter Vitug and Michael Melloria.
But presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Carlos should clarify if it is part of the police force’s functions to pick him up, using a PNP chopper, in Balesin Island after spending time with his family there.
Lacson, the standard bearer of the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, said Carlos should issue an explanation to defuse talks that he is using PNP resources for personal matters.
Lacson added, however, that people should not pass judgment on Carlos without hearing his side.
“Let’s not prejudge chief PNP Carlos, we do not know if his trip (in Balesin) was an official one. Now, if it is personal, it looks like he has a problem. So, I hope the PNP can clarify that particular issue,” Lacson said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo earlier said the chopper was supposed to fetch Carlos, who went to Balesin Island “for a private time with his family.”
She added Carlos and his family members were set to return to Manila “but the commercial flight that he was supposed to take was not available… So the chopper flew to pick up the chief PNP to bring him to Camp Crame so he could attend the flag-raising…”
Fajardo said the chopper was picking up Carlos only, with his family members due to take a commercial flight back to Manila later that day.
Lacson, a former PNP chief, said Carlos should lead by example by not using PNP resources for personal matters.
“It should be leadership by example. Assuming it was a personal trip, he should not have used the resources of the PNP. He should have used private transportation. But let us wait (for the explanation). It might be an official function,” Lacson said.
Año said dispatching a helicopter to fetch Carlos is one way of securing the PNP chief.
Told that Carlos was coming from a personal activity, Año said: “It’s fine. What’s not okay is if you allow other persons to use the chopper, that is not allowed.
“There is nothing unusual there since there is no available means for him to return to (Camp) Crame for an official function, so that’s okay, there nothing unethical there,” Año said, adding the PNP has to secure Carlos since he is going to Camp Crame.
“You cannot separate a private time from an official time. As Chief PNP, that’s part of his privileges as head of the organization. If you are not going to allow that, it will be hard for our people (policemen) to be able to do their job, if you are going to always think about that. There are certain things that can be given to him,” Año said.
In a statement, Carlos said he went to Balesin Island on Sunday afternoon “for private time and scheduled to return Monday morning via private transport.
“However, I was informed that due to unforeseen circumstances, said private transport would only be available in the evening of Monday. This prompted me to request for an admin flight to transfer/move me back to Camp Crame Monday morning so I can perform my duties,” said Carlos.
Año said investigators are looking at three angles behind the crash — weather, mechanical and pilot error.
