Sacked Navy chief won’t be reassigned

From the Manila Times (Dec 23): Sacked Navy chief won’t be reassigned

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday expressed doubts that Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, the Philippine Navy flag officer in command who had been sacked, will be given another high military position.

Lorenzana cited the looming retirement of Mercado, who was removed over an P18-billion frigate deal.

“I doubt [that he will be given a new position]because his time [in his job]is too short already,” he said in a chance interview at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“His [Mercado] status here at the Office of Chief of Staff is that he will stay here until March unless he will be reassigned,” Lorenzana added.

Mercado, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Matikas” Class of 1983, is set to retire in March 2018.

He was replaced by one of his underclassman, Rear Admiral Robert Empedrad of the PMA “Sinagtala” Class of 1986, with whom he allegedly had a rift arising from the frigate deal.

Turnover of command from Mercado to Empedrad was held closed-door at Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on Tuesday.

The Defense chief accused Mercado of “insubordination” for insisting that another private company will provide the weapons system for the frigates set to be procured, which firm was not indicated in the contract with the Hyundai Heavy Industries from South Korea.

Lorenzana said the Department of National Defense had to comply with the contract with Hyundai, the company that won the bid for the frigate program of the Philippine Navy.

“We cannot deviate from what is in the contract because if we will [do so]… the proponent will go to court and what he [Mercado] did is that he delayed this project,” he added.

AFP chief Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero said Mercado is “actively” transferring his leadership of the Philippine Navy to Empedrad, who will serve in an acting capacity.

“You have to understand the circumstances behind his reassignment so we will take it as it is,” Guerrero said in an interview.

It was Guerrero who presided at the turnover of command.

http://www.manilatimes.net/sacked-navy-chief-wont-reassigned/370191/