President Rodrigo Duterte (Presidential Photo)
MANILA – Outgoing President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s strong support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has enabled the military to effectively respond to threats and the pandemic in the past six years.
Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the AFP has "come a long way" since the first day of the Duterte administration, citing among others the acquisition of military hardware and the increase in salary of personnel.
"Dati, hindi tayo makapag-patrol (we cannot patrol) extensively and we really did not have enough equipment to cover most of the archipelago. But because of the support that the President has given to the Armed Forces, hindi lang iyong dinagdagan niya ang suweldo ng mga sundalo but also 'yung acquisitions natin in terms of military hardware (he not only increased the salaries of military personnel but he also helped boost the acquisition of military hardware)," Andolong said in a virtual presser during the two-day Duterte Legacy Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday afternoon.
The AFP completed a total of 54 projects under Republic Act 7898 (AFP Modernization Act) and RA 10349 (Revised AFP Modernization Act) and 70 other projects were delivered under the Duterte administration.
Some of the well-known products of the ongoing AFP Modernization Program are two missile frigates – the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and the BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), now commissioned and deployed for patrol missions; the FA-50PH light-interim fighter aircraft; and two AgustaWestland AW-159 "Wildcat" anti-submarine helicopters.
Fifteen S-70i "Black Hawk" helicopters are in service, and more are expected to arrive to fulfill the PHP32 billion (USD624 million) deal between the Philippines, through the DND, and a Polish aircraft manufacturer for the purchase of 32 such choppers.
About PHP125 billion was appropriated for the procurement of these vital assets under the present administration.
With these new equipment, Andolong said, the military's operational tempo in surveillance, monitoring, and responding to incidents at sea and even internally have gotten faster.
He noted that at the height of the pandemic, the newly acquired military assets, specifically the helicopter and transport aircraft, were used in transporting personal protective equipment to front-liners and vaccines to remote areas.
"In terms of the Armed Forces, malayo na rin ang narating natin (we have gone far) but we’re not quite there yet," he said.
The sea vessels deployed to the West Philippine Sea can patrol longer and are better armed than their predecessors, Andolong said.
"So, unti-unti na nating pini-phase out 'yung luma (we are gradually phasing out the old ships) to be replaced by newer ones over the next few years. And this will add more teeth to our Armed Forces in terms of protecting our sovereign rights and sovereign territory," he said. (PNA)
