Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito asserted on Thursday, January 22 that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should retain its air unit as helicopters remain essential in its operations.

Funding support for the PNP’s air assets shouldn’t be an issue especially for a calamity-prone country, Ejercito said in response to proposals to dissolve the unit.

“Helicopters are not just for VIP transport. Once deployed in regions, these can be used for medical evacuation, surveillance, police presence and search and rescue operations,” Ejercito stressed.

“Our country is prone to calamities. "That's why we can't skimp on spending and hamper the ability of our police force to respond immediately,” he said.

The Senate Committee on Peace and Order chairman said he supports the PNP’s modernization efforts, including the acquisition of drones but stressed that while these can serve as “an eye in the sky” they cannot replace manned aircrafts.

“Because the maintenance of air assets is high, they say, suggested to just use drones. But I don't think that a drone can match or do the tasks of a helicopter,” he said.

Ejercito noted that the PNP last acquired air assets in 2006 or 2007. After that period, procurement was stalled for several years and forced the police to rely on external support during major operations and emergency situations.

The 2015 Mamasapano incident involving the fallen Special Action Force (SAF) was one of the tragic outcome, as police failed to rescue the group at that time because they were heavily dependent on external assistance.

"They requested air support before but it took a while because the PNP does not have its own air assets,” the senator noted.

“We don't want that to happen again. That's why it's better for the PNP to have its own helicopter,” he said.

“That's why we funded the revival of the air unit. So that there's no more blame for borrowing and so that the PNP is ready when needed,” he stressed.

He further said funding considerations on the maintenance of these units should not outweigh the need to retain police air assets. 

Ejercito added that Congress has already allocated funds for hangar facilities in strategic locations such as Davao, Cebu, and La Union to allow faster response during emergencies.