Our Lips are sealed

Let PAF planes fall from the sky

February 1, 2010



There have been allegations of corruption in the Air Force that led to the crash and the deaths of the eight airmen. But for Deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo, he told critics to come up with evidence to support their allegations of corruption in the Air Force. Unfortunately, the guy with the evidence is locked away in jail.

Air force Capt. Joenel Pogoy is facing court martial proceedings for allegedly uploading videos in youtube detailing the supposed massive corruption among Air Force officials in cannibalizing airplane parts in PAF inventory. And one of them is the Nomad.

Senior pilots in the Air Force are reportedly reluctant to fly the aging planes because most of the aircraft are practically flying coffins due to lack of proper maintenance.

“Its' common knowledge here. But we shut up and turn a blind eye because of military policy. Most of the pilots are demoralized already and wants to leave the Air Force to seek employment in local and international airlines,” says one air force officer who graduated from the PMA eight years ago. He doesn't want to be identified for fear of similar reprisals Pogoy got.

Pogoy alleged that top officials of the Air Force cannibalized spare parts of other aircraft and sell them to the market without proper documentations. In his blog, he alleged that the C-130 that crashed in Davao was part of a rigged maintenance contract that was blown 200 times its contract amount.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Gerardo Zamudio said Capt. Joenel Pogoy was recommended to be charged before the military tribunal for violations of Articles of War 96 and 97 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline, respectively) for posting the video.

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