The local government of Kalayaan is studying the possibility of receiving one of the aircraft of former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co if the national government succeeds in sequestering them.
Kalayaan Vice-Mayor Maurice Philip Alexis Albayda stated that he is considering filing a resolution to request the national government to donate one of the aircraft to the local government.
He contrasted the prospect to what the government did with Sarah Discaya’s forfeited automobiles, which were put up for public sale.
A report fom the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) stated that Co owns at least four aircraft that includes Bell 206B, Bell 407 and Augusta Westland AW1398 helicopters and a Gulfstream 350 jet valued at around ₱5 billion.
“Proposed pa lang naman kung mababawi ng gobyerno kasi I’m seeing now that pending the law, it is possible through restitution,” Albayda said in a telephone interview with Palawan News.
Albayda said the idea came to him because the government needs to recover funds and assets linked to alleged corruption, and he believes it would be practical for these to be put to public use, including the possibility of assigning one to Kalayaan.
He further stated that with the Department of Justice currently on the process of finding ways to recover Co’s aircrafts he is floating the idea once they are restituted.
“So yun yung naging premise and preposition natin. I thought why not mag-try ako na gumawa ng resolution. Meron naman tayong forfeiture law, anti-graft and corrupt practices law. Naisip ko na baka pwede naman na since it is a restitution so baka pwede mag-usap between agecies to donate,” he added.
He added that the aircraft would be a great help to the local government considering that it is nearly impossible for them to acquire one through purchase.
He said the usual process of requesting funds already makes it difficult for the municipality to secure support even for a vessel, making an aircraft even more unrealistic.
Because of this, he believes that if such an opportunity becomes available, the municipality should take advantage of it for the benefit of its residents.
He said the municipality should not depend forever on the availability of aircraft from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard or the Philippine Navy, and that if the restitution of Co’s aircraft creates an opportunity for Kalayaan to benefit, the local government should be considered for priority.
He added that they need to be resourceful in addressing their transportation needs.
“Kung sakaling hindi kami ma-priority na ma-budgetan pero sana ma-priority kung mayroong ganung pagkakataon na ma-restitute, mapakinabangan,” he said.
“Kasi hindi naman habang panahon ay pwedeng aasa na lang kami kung kailan merong eroplano yung Armed Forces of the Philippines, or kapag may byahe yung Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy so we have to be resourceful as well in bridging the gap of transportation,” he added.
