Pangilinan sees midnight deal in P300-billion rushed AFP purchases By Angie M. Rosales 06/02/2010

Pangilinan sees midnight deal in P300-billion rushed AFP purchases

By Angie M. Rosales 06/02/2010 A senator smells another midnight deal in the making in acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales’ reported plan to acquire P300 billion worth of refurbished military equipment for Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Sen. Francis Pangilinan yesterday expressed alarm over the planned move of Gonzales to supposedly purchase refurbished or surplus equipment from Israel, Canada, Australia, Italy and South Korea, some of which had been returned to their suppliers allegedly “due to poor performance in bad weather and low light conditions.” The costly project was supposedly in fulfillment of the long-delayed modernization of the AFP. “Why must we cram such large and crucial purchases into the last month of this administration’s term when, in fact, the Multi-Year Obligational Authority for the AFP  is not co-terminus with the outgoing administration? Why should we shove surplus equipment down our Armed Forces’ throats when what they need is new and better equipment to serve the needs of our countrymen?,” Pangilinan said. “These deals need to be looked into lest we once again enter into anomalous contracts that can spell the difference between life and death for our servicemen,” said Pangilinan. The proposed AFP modernization also includes the realignment of P2 billion worth of funds for “intelligence” and “Social Integration Program” and both are subject to less stringent government accounting and auditing controls, he noted. “Who will actually benefit from this ‘last-minute contact-signing’? If the government is really sincere in modernizing the AFP, they should scrutinize the offers of the suppliers as these kinds of transactions are putting at risk the lives not only of the soldiers but civilians as well,” he said.  Gonzales recently admitted that the Arroyo government is into an “11th hour” rush for acquisitions under the AFP modernization program. “Yes, we are rushing what we can still do under the AFP modernization program in our very limited time left. Aren’t we Filipinos known to be good in the last two minutes?” Gonzales said.... MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100602hed3.html

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