Conduct capability upgrading program with utmost transparency, PGMA tells AFP
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on Monday that the Capability
Upgrading Program (CUP) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
must be conducted with utmost transparency.
She issued the directive to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and AFP
Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. during the AFP command conference
held at the Tejeros Hall of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The President pointed out that as the allocations for the projects under
the CUP are "very big," the biddings should be conducted with utmost
transparency. "We like to wipe out graft and corruption," she added.
The President, who is also commander-in-chief of the AFP, also directed
the military to maintain its campaign against communist terrorists,
adhere strictly to the guidelines of the peace process, and coordinate
closely with the joint ceasefire committee and the international
monitoring team to ensure that the prevailing peace on the ground is
maintained.
Reiterating the government's adherence to the protection of human
rights, the President also said the AFP will pursue its role as a
partner in national development under the National Development Support
Command.
Aside from Teodoro, whom the President hailed as an "inspiration" to the
AFP with his leadership of the defense department over the last six
months, and Esperon, also present during the Camp Aguinaldo conference
were heads of the various commands nationwide and other military top
brass.
The AFP capability upgrading program is divided into two stages: Phase
l, with an allocation of P11.2 billion was implemented last year, while
Phase II, with a funding of P5 billion is set to be implemented this
year.
The P16.2-billion AFP CUP consists of a total of 97 projects, 34 under
Phase I and 63 projects under Phase II.
Of the 34 projects under Phase I, 20 have been completed, four are still
in the pipeline, while the rest are in various stages of procurement,
according to the AFP.
Stressing that "we really have to clear up the bidding process," the
President instructed Secretary Teodoro to immediately submit a report on
the AFP's P5-billion helicopter project, especially that for the
night-capable attack helicopters.
"I ask you to handle these large sums of money with transparency," the
President reiterated to the AFP.
The President then stressed to the AFP-DND leadership that in ensuring a
"strong and modern military," the Arroyo administration has "put the
money where our rhetoric is, and I am glad that the AFP capability
upgrade is being implemented…"