SCUTTLEBUTT

P11.5M for a political stunt

The Gulfstream G550 private jet, with registry number RP-C5219, which transported former President Rodrigo Duterte, was not only notable for its owner but also for the staggering cost of the operation — $200,000 (or P11.5 million). This has become a hot topic of conversation in coffee shops.

However, no one has come forward to claim ownership or lending of the aircraft. As a result, it is widely assumed that the trip was funded by Malacañang, a claim that the Office of the President has confirmed.

The cost to charter a private jet, according to an aviation consultant, from Manila to The Netherlands, with the landing at Rotterdam, as it’s the closest major airport servicing private jets near The Hague, is typically calculated per flight hour.

The cost of a long-range jet ride such as the Gulfstream G650 would be around $10,000 to $14,000 an hour.

The estimated cost for the entire route is around $140,000 to $196,000 one-way.

The fuel surcharge varies with global fuel prices. As of early 2025, jet fuel averages $2.50 to $3.50 per gallon which adds $10,000 to $20,000 to the total cost. A G650 burns more or less 450 gallons per hour.

If the crew will have to stay overnight at The Hague, per diem and the cost of accommodation could add at least $2,000.

Landing and handling fees would be around $1,000 to $3,000 per airport, totaling $2,000-$6,000 for both ends.

Basic catering is often included, but premium options could add $500 to $2,000.

Ironically, the jet was the latest edition of the aircraft that had become controversial after the government bought it for use by President Duterte during his term.

Subsequently, however, Duterte refused to use it. Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation said it was the Philippine Air Force that signed the contract to buy a Gulfstream G280 aircraft for “command and control” duties.

“The President has stated from the beginning that he does not want the procurement of an executive jet for his own use. This aircraft was not intended to be a presidential plane but as a command-and-control plane of the AFP and the DND. The justification of its procurement says so: ‘For Command and Control,’ which was approved by the DND/AFP senior leaders last year specifically for the purpose stated,” according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

ICC, easy to manipulate

A newly released study in Israel challenged the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation of starvation claims against Israel and exposes the Hamas terror organization’s role in controlling aid distribution indicating that the Tribunal had used half-baked or even manipulated evidence in its investigations.

The ICC similarly had swallowed, hook, line and sinker, the claims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s political foes of 30,000 deaths in the war on drugs which has been debunked in local inquiries.

Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dismissed claims of starvation, telling Fox News Digital that Hamas hoards supplies while Israel ensures aid enters.

“Over 25,200 trucks arrived during the ceasefire — enough for four months. If there’s hunger, it’s because of Hamas corruption, not a lack of food,” he said.

The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation.

The study, named “Food supplied to Gaza during seven months of the Hamas-Israel war,” was led by nutrition and public health experts Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, along with researchers from multiple Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health.