Revive self-reliance program to produce own military hardware, DND urged

From Update.Ph (Nov 2): Revive self-reliance program to produce own military hardware, DND urged

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday urged the Department of National Defense (DND) to revive its self-reliance program to be able to produce its own weapons and ammunition. Lacson made the statement following a report that the US is halting a planned rifle sale to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“There is now more reason for our Department of National Defense to revive our self-reliance program so we can produce our own weapons and ammunition and other military hardware,” the senator said.

An exclusive report from Reuters noted that according to senate aides, the US State Department is meaning to stop the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it.

Aides further said Cardin was “reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines”.

Lacson, who is a former PNP chief, noted that he has yet to see an investigation that has come to the conclusion that human rights violations were committed in the intensified anti-illegal drug campaign under the current administration.

“I would take US Sen. Cardin’s statement as his own opinion and nothing more,” he said.

The senator meanwhile said that the Philippines does not stand to lose anything from the US plan to stop the sale of assault rifles to the Philippines “except one less gun store to choose from”.

“There are tens of other countries that manufacture better and probably cheaper assault rifles than the US,” he said.

The defense department earlier said that obtaining defense equipment from China and Russia is currently in its planning stage.

http://www.update.ph/2016/11/revive-self-reliance-program-to-produce-own-military-hardware-dnd-urged/10643