Gov’t to acquire defense, anti-terror equipment using Chinese grant

From the Manila Bulletin (Jan 26): Gov’t to acquire defense, anti-terror equipment using Chinese grant

Defense department bares plan to purchase boats, drones, rifles and bomb disposal robots from China

The Department of National Defense said Thursday, January 26 it is eyeing to acquire fast boats, drones, unmanned remote robots for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units and sniper rifles from the Chinese grant worth 100 million yuan (about P720 million) to be given to the Philippine government.

Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the equipment will be used “in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other terrorist groups” operating in the country, especially in Mindanao.

MB FILE – Department of National Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana
(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)

 

“We’re looking at the fast boats, drones, unmanned remote robots for bomb disposal units and sniper rifles,” Lorenzana told reporters in a press briefing at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. “We asked them to provide us with these equipment base on the grant that they will provide us. Kung ano magkakasya or maabot ng pera na ibibigay nila (whatever we can purchase from that money).”

Lorenzana, at the same time, assured that “there are no strings attached” on the grant provided by the Chinese government and “there is also no need for any papers to be signed with regards to it.”

When asked about the quality of the boats coming from China, Lorenzana said: “We’ll see if the quality of the ship is good. If it’s very good and will answer all our needs we will get it.”

Lorenzana said the grant from China is also meant to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Lorenzana earlier said that aside from the grant, China is also offering the Philippines a $500-million soft loan.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/26/govt-to-acquire-defense-anti-terror-equipment-using-chinese-grant/