Palace shops for P1.2-B jet 10 months before Arroyo exit

(Updated 9:55 PM) The Arroyo administration is shopping around for a used “presidential fixed-wing executive jet" worth at least P1.2 billion. The aircraft must be “factory new, twin-engine (turbo-fan engines), pressurized, fitted with auxiliary power unit, and with VIP cabin configuration," said an advertisement placed by the Office of the President in the Philippine Star on Thursday. “The type of aircraft to be offered should have been used as a VIP/Executive aircraft by the country of origin and by at least two countries," the ad continued. The ad was signed by a certain attorney Lynn Danao-Moreno, an assistant executive secretary and chairperson of the bids and awards committee of the Office of the President. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde and deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez told GMANews.TV in separate text messages Thursday night that they were not aware of the Palace’s intention to buy a used jet. The President and her US entourage are being criticized for spending $20,000 and $15,000 respectively for dinners in New York and Washington, DC. The uproar has come in the wake of the national mourning for the late former president Cory Aquino, who was known for her simple lifestyle and personal modesty. The newspaper ad for the presidential jet invited interested bidders and suppliers to participate as long as they have a repair shop within the Southeast Asian region with the necessary tools, equipment, and skilled personnel. These “should be ready and available before the delivery of the aircraft," the ad said. Funds for the jet’s acquisition are expected to come from the Philippines’ 2009 national budget. Interested bidders are required to pay a non-refundable fee of P100,000 until August 26, 2009. The pre-bid conference is scheduled for the next day at the Mabini Hall in Malacañang while the bid submission deadline will be on September 10, 2009. The winning bidder will be chosen on the same day. Under the Arroyo administration, the government acquired at least two brand-new choppers, one of which crashed in Ifugao province last April, killing Palace personnel, including Press Undersecretary Jose Capadocia. - with reports from Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV