PNP pilots need better training

Gen. Dionardo Carlos, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), is being criticized for the crash of a police helicopter that was supposed to fetch him at the Balesin island resort in Quezon province, where he had a short vacation.

C’mon fellows, give the guy a break!

Riding a police helicopter is part of Carlos’ perks and privileges as the national police chief.

He went to Balesin on a private transport to have “private time.” What’s wrong with having a short vacation after weeks of working hard?

Carlos was needed in Camp Crame ASAP, but there were no civilian aircraft available. The police chopper had to be sent to fly him back to Manila.

As to the propriety of spending “private time” in a luxurious paradise resort, many senators and members of Congress have taken a vacation at Balesin.

Many male politicians with their paramours in tow make the resort their hideaway.

A well-known politician and his equally famous wife are often seen at the resort.

One congresswoman even held her wedding at the resort.

So, what’s wrong with the chief of the National Police spending a brief time in Balesin island?

It would be a different story if he was seen with some dubious characters, like a gambling or crime lord, on the island.

But no reports or even rumors of Carlos doing anything immoral or illegal at the paradise resort have come out of Manila’s rumor mill.

By the way, please define “immoral” in the context of the Filipino machismo society.

*      *      *

Carlos seems to blame himself for the crash of the PNP helicopter that resulted in the death of a lowest-ranking patrolman.

“I regret that the accident happened and never wish harm to my personnel nor losses to the organization,” the PNP’s honcho said.

But why should Carlos blame himself when all accidents are not intentional?

If at all, the Philippine National Police as an organization should take the blame for the apparent lack of training of its helicopter pilots.

The latest chopper mishap is the second in two years in the PNP.

On March 5, 2020, a PNP helicopter carrying top-ranking officers crashed in San Pedro, Laguna after hitting a power line, seriously injuring its passengers, including then PNP chief Archie Gamboa, and later killing Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Ramos.

The PNP should send its helicopter pilots to the best flying schools here or abroad to avoid further mishaps.

Lack of training of its pilots apparently caused the two PNP choppers to crash.

The government-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) said that before the latest mishap, the PNP had nine choppers.

Of the nine, only five were flying while the others were on the ground having maintenance check-up, the PNA said.

If PNP pilots continue to be lousy flyers because of their lack of training, there might be more air tragedies in the future involving police choppers, and there might be no helicopters left.

By the way, I haven’t heard of any police helicopter being used for anti-crime patrols or to carry cops to the crime scene.

The two crashes revealed that PNP choppers are only used to ferry ranking officers to inspect camps or stations, but not for fighting crime.

In the United States and other developed countries, police use helicopters to go to the crime scene or assist officers on the ground in hot pursuit of fleeing criminals.

*      *      *

To Police Lt. Col. Michael B. Lozada, the PNP motto “to serve and protect” is nothing but words and not to be taken seriously.

Lozada is chief of police of Bislig City in Surigao del Sur where the idle plant of the Philippine Industries Corp. of the Philippines (PICOP), now called PICOP Resources Inc., is located.

The idle PICOP complex, which has millions of tons of machinery and vehicles, is being plundered by its former employees for scrap to be sold to a dealer.

Lozada and his policemen are not lifting a finger to prevent the looting at the complex, which takes place every day.

In fact, reports this columnist has received said some of Lozada’s men and their civilian accomplices are even taking part in the looting with impunity.

Florante Clod T. Sanico, legal counsel for PICOP Resources, had asked Lozada to help stop a group identified with Lorden Pespiñan, a scrap dealer, from hauling property from the PICOP complex.

The lawyer resigned as PICOP legal counsel after his car, which was parked in the garage of his home, was shot up by unidentified gunmen.

That was apparently a warning to Sanico that defending the bankrupt PICOP in court and protecting its complex property, which is under litigation, was not safe for him and his family.

Lozada seemed not to care for Sanico’s safety.

I tried to call Lozada several times for his side, but my calls were not answered.

PICOP, which used to produce and export pulp that would be made into paper, is now bankrupt.

The government awarded PICOP a concession to make pulp, paper products and paper. A 182,000-hectare forest planted with trees for harvesting pulp is at the back of the large PICOP complex.

PICOP stopped its operations on June 13, 2008. The illegal cutting of trees in the PICOP forest and then the plunder of its property in the complex started immediately thereafter.

Meanwhile, Makati Judge Andres Soriano, who’s handling the rehabilitation case of PICOP, is sitting on his butt while the complex in Bislig is being looted, as this column earlier reported.

PICOP used to have its main office in the Makati commercial district; hence, the rehabilitation case is being heard in the town.