CAAP taps counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore to monitor Zaldy Co air assets

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Thursday that it is coordinating with its counterparts in Malaysia and Singapore to monitor the three registered air assets connected to former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co.

CAAP Director General Raul del Rosario said this after the agency announced Wednesday that two AgustaWestland helicopters linked to Co are currently in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, having flown there on August 20 and September 11, respectively.

Meanwhile, a Gulfstream aircraft has also been in Singapore since August 16.

“Nakikipag-ugnayan kami sa mga civil aviation authorities ng mga bansa na pinuntahan nila at nagpapatulong kami na i-monitor dahil sa ngayon, ‘yun pa naman ang kaya nating gawin,” Del Rosario said at a press conference.

(We are coordinating with the civil aviation authorities of the countries that these aircraft flew to and we are asking them to help monitor because that is all we can do for now.)

He said the air assets were able to leave the Philippines before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) officially began its investigation into the anomalous flood control projects.

Aside from the three air assets that already flew out of the Philippines, he said the CAAP is also monitoring ten others that remain in the country.

“‘Yung iba naman na naiwan dito ay ganon din, mino-monitor natin dahil kailangan naman nilang mag-file ng mga flight plans bago makalipad. Pero nandito pa sila sa bansa natin,” Del Rosario said.

(We are also monitoring other air assets that remain here because they have to file flight plans before flying. But they are still here in our country.)

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, meanwhile, assured that the air assets could not be sold even if they are outside the Philippines, unless they are deregistered.

“Ang importante, hindi ‘yan mabebenta. Kahit nasa ibang bansa pa ‘yan, ‘pagka na-file na ‘yung mga kaso para bawiin itong mga assets na ‘to sa tamang panahon, mukhang pagdating na naman ‘yan, eh mababawi pa rin natin at makukuha pa rin natin,” Dizon said.

(The important thing is that they cannot be sold. Even if they are in another country, when the cases have been filed to recover these assets, we can still recover them.)

Del Rosario also explained that under the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization, an aircraft has to have one nationality only, meaning it cannot be registered in another country if not deregistered from another.

“Kaya aalamin din ‘yan ng Civil Aviation Authority ng Malaysia o Singapore, for example, kung na-deregister na bago i-allow nila na ma-register sa mga bansang ‘yan. Kaya parang hindi pwedeng ibenta,” he said.

(The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia or Singapore, for example, will have to find out if these air assets have been deregistered before they allow it to be registered in their own countries. So these cannot be sold.)

Last month, Dizon revealed that the CAAP has foiled attempts by companies related to Co to deregister three choppers being requested to be frozen by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

To recall, the DPWH requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze billions of pesos worth of air assets registered to companies related to Zaldy Co and his brother Christopher Co.

In particular, a total of $74.650 million worth of aircraft (about P4.3 billion at the current exchange rate), including a $36-million Gulfstream 350 and $16-million Agusta Westland AW1399 are registered under Misibis Aviation, which is led by Zaldy Co's son Michael Ellis. 

Choppers registered under Misibis Aviation included two Augusta Westland AW1398 (worth $16 million each), two Bell 4017 (worth $3 million each), and a Bell 206B3 (worth $650,000).

Romualdez

Del Rosario also disclosed at the same press conference that there are no air assets registered under the name of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Sa katotohanan po, sa record na chineck namin, wala… Walang lumalabas na pag-aari ni Speaker,” he said.

(Actually, based on the record we checked, there are no air assets that belong to the Speaker.)

Both Co and Romualdez have been implicated in the flood control scandal. They have since repeatedly denied the allegations against them. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News