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PH eyes purchase of P32 billion worth of naval assets before Duterte term ends

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Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen onboard rubber boats as they sail near Chinese vessels believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia at Julian Felipe Reef, West Philippine Sea. Philippine Coast Guard" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/04/19/20210419-west-ph-sea-pcg.jpg"/><figcaption>Philippine Coast Guard personnel are seen onboard rubber boats as they sail near Chinese vessels believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia at Julian Felipe Reef, West Philippine Sea. Philippine Coast Guard</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The Philippines would purchase some P32 billion worth of naval assets before President Rodrigo Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office in June, the Department of National Defense (DND) said Thursday. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said his agency wanted to buy 6 offshore patrol vessels that could be used to safeguard the West Philippine Sea. This is smaller than the usual frigate vessels, he noted. &quot;Iniisip ngayon natin o pinaplano siguro bago matapos itong administration na baka mapirmahan ang kontrata ay &#x27;yung 6 na offshore patrol vessels,&quot; the defense chief said in a public briefing.(We are thinking or planning for the contract on 6 offshore patrol vessels to be signed before the administration ends.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/05/22/duterte-china-ph-have-no-quarrel-can-talk-about-spratly">Duterte says China, Philippines &#x27;don’t have any quarrel, can talk about Spratlys&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/28/22/ph-air-force-gets-1-of-3-new-c-295-planes">Philippine Air Force gets 1 of 3 new C-295 planes</a></li></ul>&quot;Pero tingin namin, looking at the sa lawak ng ating maritime domain ay kulang pa ang ating barko, kailangan natin bumili ng barko,&quot; he added.(But we think that we need more vessels given the vast maritime domain of our country.)The smaller vessels, he noted, can be also used to assist fisherfolk in Philippine waters and for calamity response.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2024387" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Video from PTV</div>&quot;Saan magagamit &#x27;yon? Pagpatrolya ng ating karagatan, alalayan ang ating mangingisda at the same time kung may mga sakuna, catastrophe, yung mga bagyo... ay makakatulong agad &#x27;yan.(It can be used to patrol seas, assist our fisherfolk, and help during calamities.)Lorenzana said the country&#x27;s P427.7 billion defense modernization program called <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/15/22/philippines-agrees-to-buy-anti-ship-missile-system-from-india">Horizon 2</a> is &quot;on track.&quot; Duterte has been seeking to acquire missile systems for the Philippine military through this second phase, which began in 2018. Out of the 96 projects under this, almost three-fourths have already been accomplished, he said. &quot;Yung mga hindi pa nai-deliver na equipment napirmahan na ang kontrata noon ay still on track for delivery kahit wala na tayo dito,&quot; he assured the public. (The undelivered equipment which through signed contracts before were still on track for delivery even if the administration already left.)Manila&#x27;s military was one of the most poorly equipped in Asia when President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, began a modest modernization program in 2012 — but it is still no match for its superpower neighbor China. Tensions over the South China Sea has recently spiked, with Manila and Beijing accusing each other of territorial violations.China claims almost all of the waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historical claim is without basis.<div>— with a report from Agence France-Presse</div>

Philippines plans to purchase some P32 billion worth of naval assets before President Rodrigo Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office in June, the DND said.

PH eyes purchase of P32 billion worth of naval assets before Duterte term ends

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PH eyes purchase of P32 billion worth of naval assets before Duterte term ends

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 05, 2022 07:46 PM PHT

Read More:

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

naval assets

AFP modernization program

Horizon 2

second horizon

offshore patrol vessels

OPV

Lorenzana

Delfin Lorenzana

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