Arroyo approves 14 military supply contracts worth P10B

By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:36pm (Mla time) 01/05/2007

MANILA -- (UPDATE) PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved 14 supply contracts worth P10 billion for the military’s modernization program, military officials said.

“[The contracts] were approved in record time, in just one day… Suddenly we are ordering P10 billion worth of equipment,” said Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Esperon said that among others, the military would purchase refurbished UH-1H and MG-520 attack helicopters with night vision capabilities, watercraft for the Army, patrol vehicles, squad automatic rifles, radio equipment, and bomb detection equipment.

The contracts will be up for public bidding and deliveries are expected in April or July, Esperon told reporters, after Arroyo met the Board of Generals for nearly four hours in a pre-procurement conference.

“These [purchases] are intended for internal security operations,” Esperon said.

The military only has P5 billion on hand and is waiting for the release of the additional P5 billion, said Vice Chief of Staff Antonio Romero, who heads the AFP capability upgrade program.

Romero said the initial P5 billion could purchase only 10 of the 14 items on procurement list.

Esperon said Arroyo called up Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya during the meeting to hasten the release of the P5 billion pesos to complete the P10-billion budget for the purchases.

The bids and awards committee of the Department of National Defense (DND) approves contracts worth P50 million and above, while the AFP bids and awards committee approves contracts below P50 million.

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