(Eagle News) — Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday said a Senate probe into the P15.7-billion frigate acquisition project would be an opportunity to determine “if (the) Aquino government committed any anomalies in the bidding.”
As such, the filing of Senate Resolution No. 584 by minority bloc senators Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Antonio Trillanes IV, Franklin Drilon and Bam Aquino was a “welcome move,” Roque said.
The opposition senators called for an inquiry to see if the project–where Special Assistant to the President Bong Go was alleged to have interfered—“complies with pertinent laws.”
They said the investigation would also determine whether or not the acquisition of the frigates “promotes the goals” of the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program.
Earlier, Roque said it was impossible for Go to have intervened in the bidding for the frigates’ Combat Management System since the bidding and the act of choosing the winning bidder for the project was already done by the Aquino government.
He noted that the bidding for a CMS was not done separate from the bidding for the frigates.
He said all the Duterte administration, through Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, did was give the notice of award.
Lorenzana and Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, who Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said was sacked as Navy commander for “jeopardiz(ing)” the project, also denied that Go had tried to influence or interfere in any way.