Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Wednesday the acquisition of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) equipment and armaments under the AFP modernization program has been done with greater transparency and accountability.
Gazmin made this assurance during the first Senate inquiry
into the alleged anomalous procurement of the 21 refurbished UH-1 or Huey
helicopters in the amount of PhP1.24 billion.
”To effect greater transparency and pinpoint responsibility
and accountability, we have allowed the attendance of third parties in the
bidding procedures,” Gazmin told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Gazmin also said the DND has even established the Defense
System of Management (DESOM) that evaluates the real needs of the AFP as the
country’s defenders.
”Equally important, the decision to acquire or procure
certain military equipment, platforms or weapons defense system has been the
product of thorough, deliberative processes involving the participation of the
senior leaders of DND and AFP,” Gazmin said.
The DND also institutionalized the management group activity
or known as Senior Leaders Roundtable Discussion (SLRTD) under DESOM.
”The SLRTD every now and then makes the collective decision
to acquire or procure certain military platforms armaments or equipment,”
Gazmin said.
After explaining the processes of the AFP modernization
program, Gazmin requested for an executive session to discuss the military
operational readiness and capability gaps that led to the formulation of the
AFP modernization program.
”For this, we will request that it be done in executive
session so as not to jeopardize the security interest of the state,” Voltaire
told the Senate committee.
The panel, chaired by Senator Teofisto Guingona III, granted
Voltaire's request after he gave an overview of the AFP modernization program
as mandated by Republic Act No. 10349.
Voltaire promised to answer in public all the queries on the
acquisitions of the AFP military equipment and weapons systems, particularly the
purchased of 21 units of refurbished UH-1 helicopters, after the executive
session.
The Senate panel, however, had run out of time to return to
the session hall, prompting them to set another public hearing to explain the
alleged anomalous purchase of AFP choppers.
”We were given some details that we want to study first so
the committee hearing will be rescheduled and we will be inviting those in the
acquisition and bids and awards committee of the DND so that we will know their
procurement process,” Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito told the media after the
executive session.
Ejercito was one of the three senators who filed the Senate
resolution calling for a Senate investigation. Others are Senators Francis
Escudero and Jinggoy Estrada.
Ejercito said he was not fully satisfied with the DND
explanation as to why the department bought refurbished UH-1 helicopters
instead of brand new units.
”They said a brand new unit will cost a lot. I think only
two brand new helicopters can be acquired for PhP1.2 billion against 21
refurbished units but for me, the lives of the soldiers and pilots are still at
stake here,” Ejercito explained.
Quoting published reports, Ejercito cited in his own
resolution that the DND procurement of 21 refurbished UH-1 or Huey helicopters was
tailor-fitted for a favored bidder.
The contract was awarded to the Joint Venture of Rice
Aircraft Services Inc. and Canada-based Eagle Copters Ltd. on Dec. 28, 2013 for
a bid price of PhP1.2 billion.
According to reports, the delivered choppers to the
Philippine Air Force (PAF) were non-compliant with the project contract’s Terms
of References (TOR) and have limited use due to some defects.
The revised AFP modernization program provides that at least
PhP75 billion will be used for the first five years of the 15-year period of
the modernization program.
The first phase of the program also includes acquisition of
warships, fighter jets, air radar system and other military hardware.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=759284
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