SEN. Erwin Tulfo called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to strengthen and redeploy its aerial assets to improve emergency response, environmental protection, and law enforcement capabilities.
During the 2027 budget briefing of DILG, Tulfo highlighted the need for faster aerial response in remote regions, particularly against illegal logging and kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) in areas like Palawan and the Sierra Madre.
"Right now, forest rangers have to trek for two days just to inspect illegal logging activities. If the Philippine National Police had proper air support on standby, deployment would be immediate," said Tulfo, who hails from Palawan.
“Is there a plan from the PNP to augment air assets for faster response? For instance, there’s heavy traffic in Metro Manila; mobility will be faster if there are air assets," he said.
Sen. JV Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, supported Tulfo’s suggestion and pushed for reassigning the PNP’s helicopter fleet from Manila to key regional hubs — including Cebu, Davao, and La Union — for immediate availability for search and rescue, disaster response and medical evacuations.
While supporting drone procurement for surveillance, lawmakers agreed that helicopters remain indispensable for rescue missions.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla even recommended procuring specialized utility models capable of tactical drop-offs, winching and medical evacuations, replacing current executive transport models that cannot perform such functions.
Additionally, following three helicopter crashes over the past four years in the eight-unit fleet, Remulla proposed re-evaluating the PNP's maintenance procedures and exploring outsourced maintenance to guarantee airworthiness and operational safety.
Tulfo reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the DILG and PNP's budgetary requirements for modernized air assets, hangar construction, and updated maintenance systems to better serve rural and calamity-prone communities.
The DILG said its 2027 proposal would sustain programs on peace and order, public safety, local government capacity-building, disaster preparedness, anti-drug operations, jail management, fire protection, youth development, Muslim Filipino affairs and gender equality.
