QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Senator JV Ejercito is asking the Senate to probe the procurement system of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in view of the recent crash of the Philippine Air Force helicopter in Tanay, Rizal which resulted in the death of three soldiers.
According to Ejercito, there have been reports that the AFP is buying second-hand or reconditioned equipment.
“We can buy a small number of new ones just as long as they are reliable and safe…It’s the life of our soldiers that are also at stake here,” he said.
“They [said they] decided to buy refurbished helicopters because the brand-new ones would cost a lot. Maybe from the P1.2-billion fund, they would only [be able to] buy two to four new helicopters,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito also wants to check if there are anomalies in the procurement of military equipment.